Crews are continuing to clean up from severe thunderstorms that caused widespread flooding across Toronto on Wednesday. Thousands of people are still without electricity after destructive winds knocked down trees and power lines. Several major roadways, including the Don Valley Parkway, have now reopened. Follow along for live updates. Key details ‘100-year storm’ City Manager Paul Johnston called Wednesday’s storm “unique” to Toronto. “The reality is weather is never the same twice. This was a storm that brought a large amount of rain across the city of Toronto,” he said. “It is a bit unique in that. I’ve talked to some of our folks, particularly in Toronto Water, and we’ve not seen an event like this that’s brought this amount of water across the city of Toronto. It has been isolated.” He said the amount of rain that fell, up to 110 millimetres in some areas, qualifies as what they would call a “100-year storm.” “Wide areas of the city received large amounts of rain,” he added. ‘We were prepared’ Speaking to reporters on Thursday morning, Mayor Olivia Chow provided an update on the city’s storm response. “The moment the storm arrived, our crews were ready to go,” she said, noting that the emergency operations centre was activated earlier in the day. Toronto Fire responded to more than 1,000 calls on Wednesday, she said, noting that it was the “second-highest call volume” the city has seen in a single day. “They rescued people from flooded roads, secured equipment, and prevented further damage,” she said. Hydro crews have now restored power to about 90 per cent of customers who experienced outages on Wednesday, Chow added, and TTC operators did their best to move customers safely during “difficult circumstances.” “The storm has passed and I want to assure the people of people that we were prepared,” she said at city hall. “We will keep working until every road is clear and every resident has power back.” NB Don Valley Parkway reopens About an hour after southbound lanes of the DVP reopened, traffic is now moving on the northbound side of the highway between Bloor Street and the Gardiner Expressway. The eastbound Gardiner Expressway remains closed from York Street to the DVP. -Codi Wilson, Web Journalist, CP24.com TRCA cancels flood warning A flood warning issued by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) has been cancelled, but what’s known as a “watershed conditions statement” remains in effect. The agency said although flooding is not expected in the area today, the amount of rain that fell on Wednesday, between 10 and 112 millimetres depending on where you were in the city, has caused water levels in rivers to rise and flow faster than usual. “Stay safe around water by avoiding rivers, streams, and nearby trails and by keeping children and pets away from fast moving water and slippery banks,” they said in an update Thursday. Phil Tsekouras, CTV News Toronto journalist Rogers Stadium damaged by storm Photos from Chopper 24 show dramatic images of Rogers Stadium, which appears to have sustained significant damage during Wednesday’s storm. No shows are scheduled this week at the stadium, located at Downsview Park, but AC/DC is expected to perform on Sept. 16. -Codi Wilson, Web Journalist, CP24.com -Codi Wilson, Web Journalist, CP24.com Southbound DVP reopens The southbound lanes of the Don Valley Parkway have reopened but northbound lanes remain closed between Bloor Street and the Gardiner Expressway. It is unclear when the northbound lanes will reopen. -Codi Wilson, Web Journalist, CP24.com Operations at Pearson airport ‘returning to normal’ Officials at Toronto Pearson International Airport say operations are “returning to normal” following the storm. “Travellers are encouraged to check their flight status directly with their airline, as some schedules were impacted by yesterday’s storm,” the airport said in a social media post. Pearson previously said it was deploying undisclosed air traffic management initiatives as the rain started to fall Thursday, which NAV Canada, the nation’s air navigation system, said was causing delays at the airport. Phil Tsekouras, CTV News Toronto journalist City sees more than 1,100 service requests In an email on Thursday, the City of Toronto said crews continue to clear debris and sediment off of roadways as flood waters begin to recede. “Closures will remain in place until cleanup operations are complete and the roadways are determined to be safe for reopening,” the email read. More than 1,100 service requests have been received by the city so far as it continues to assess and respond to hazards across Toronto, “prioritizing safety as well as ensuring key infrastructure such as hydro and roadways continue.” “Widespread power outages have been reported across the city, impacting several traffic signals. Residents are encouraged to treat these intersections as a four-way stop,” the city noted. The City’s 10 supervised beaches are expected to reopen at 10 a.m. and outdoor pools may open later than usual today. Some park washrooms may be closed and drop-in programs at recreation centres may be cancelled today. All CampTO programs are operating, with activities “adjusted on site where needed.” -Codi Wilson, Web Journalist, CP24.com DVP closed ‘indefinitely’ for cleanup It is unclear when the Don Valley Parkway will reopen between Bayview/ Bloor and the Gardiner Expressway. “It is a mess on the Don Valley Parkway,” CP24 Traffic Specialist Meital Sperling said on Thursday morning, adding that officials have said the stretch is closed “indefinitely” until cleanup can be completed. “Getting downtown this morning is going to be quite the struggle.” -Codi Wilson, Web Journalist, CP24.com Tropical air mass provided ignition for storm CP24 Meteorologist Bill Coulter said these types of storms are rare in Toronto. “Toronto tends to not get a lot of these kind of really powerful storms because often the cold front comes in from the west, interacts with the Niagara Escarpment, that kind of flattens out the cloud a little bit,” he said. “Then as it expands on the eastern side of the escarpment, it dries out a little bit and then it redevelops on the east side of the GTA and eastward.” He noted that this storm was different as it came from the north. “This coming down from the north had no interactions so you had these ripples ahead of the cold front that gave wave after wave of ignition to this tropical air mass,” Coulter said. “And boy did we pay the price yesterday.” -Codi Wilson, Web Journalist, CP24.com Delays on some TTC bus routes TTC spokesperson Susan Nguyen said it is a busy morning but a “problem-free” commute on the subway, LRT and streetcar routes. “On the roads, we are dealing with significant delays because of flooding on the roadways there, and this is primarily in the northwest of the city, along Finch, Keele, Sheppard, Wilson, and Dufferin,” she told CP24 on Thursday morning. -Codi Wilson, Web Journalist, CP24.com Storm was ‘one for the history books’ Coulter confirmed that 43.3 millimetres of rain fell at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday, representing more than half a month’s worth of rain in a matter of hours. “This is the calm after the storm and it is one for the history books for sure,” Coulter said. He said certain areas of the city likely got “significantly more” than that amount. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you hear totals, when they put out the summary, of 100 plus,” Coulter said Thursday. Toronto will be spared from further thunderstorms on Thursday but humid weather is in the forecast. The city will see a high of 27 C today, feeling like 34 when factoring in the humidity. -Codi Wilson, Web Journalist, CP24.com Power outages continue At the peak of the storm, Toronto Hydro said about 65,000 customers were without power in the city. As of about midnight, the utility said service has been restored to about 40,000 customers, leaving about 25,000 still in the dark. It in unclear how many still remain without electricity this morning. -Codi Wilson, Web Journalist, CP24.com Commuters should leave ‘plenty of extra time’ In a post on social media, the City of Toronto said several roadways will remain closed this morning “until further notice.” -Codi Wilson, Web Journalist, CP24.com
