Toronto roads flooded after heavy rainstorm

Several streets in the Beach neighbourhood of Toronto were flooded with sewage creeping into some basements.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms continued to drench the Greater Toronto Area Sunday, creating pools of water on local roadways.

Flooding was reported across Toronto from the city's Beach neighbourhood to the east and Ontario Place to the west.

Lake Shore Boulevard was transformed into a large pond as several lanes of traffic were flooded in deep water.

Vehicles were partially submerged in the water and traffic was rerouted around the affected areas.

A city official told CTV Toronto that 100 homes across the city were reportedly flooded this past weekend.  One couple said that last time their basement was flooded, it cost their insurance company about $30,000. However, this time around, their insurance won't cover the cost because the home is located in an area that has weak city engineering.

"Everybody along the street here has been similarly affected," said Marilyn Lake. "It was literally boiling up out of the man holes and that's why it backed up the street, reached the sidewalk, rolled down our driveway and filled our basement up."

Toronto police are warning drivers to stay away from flooded areas and to drive slowly through the city. Forecasters predict isolated showers and thunderstorms will make their way through the GTA for the rest of the day.

The Ontario Provincial Police also sent out an alert to drivers after authorities were forced to close down the exit ramps to Hamilton's Red Hill Parkway from the Queen Elizabeth Way in both directions because of flooding.

Bryan Tugwood, a severe weather meteorologist, told The Canadian Press the flash floods are the result of the ground not being able to absorb water fast enough.

"I know that talking to the conservation authority here, some of the dams are getting quite high,"  on Sunday. "There's not much room for too much more rain. It's coming fast and furious."

Toronto saw about 33 millimetres of rainfall on Saturday and another 20 millimetres of rain on Sunday.

Sinkholes

The rain, which has showered Toronto since Friday, also caused large sinkholes on Finch Avenue West in the city's north end.

City crews were called on Friday to repair sinkholes on Finch between Dufferin Street and Wilmington Drive but have remained at the scene since to repair unexpected damage.

The sinkhole is about five metres in diameter and about 14 metres deep but affects a much larger area underneat the road, according to a news release put out by the city on Sunday.

A second sinkhole -- about five metres in diameter and three metres deep -- formed immediately to the east of the first one.

"As excavation of the site continued yesterday during which engineers determined that the repairs required would be extensive," says the news release. "Officials believe that a leak in a 450millimetre storm drain that is far below the surface of the street is the underlying cause of the sinkhole."

City officials say they don't expect to have the road repaired before the end of the week.

Traffic will be diverted in the following way:

Environment Canada is calling for clear skies Monday and Tuesday.

While last July saw a near-record amount of rainfall, Ontario is below those amounts so far this month. However, forecasters say it is the coldest July since 1992.

With files from The Canadian Press and a report from CTV Toronto's Michelle Dube