Cleanup efforts are underway in Toronto a day after severe thunderstorms caused widespread damage across the city. Many residents woke up Thursday without power and streets blocked by trees and power lines downed by high winds. Others were dealing with flooded basements after some parts of the city got 100 to 110 millimetres of rain. Toronto officials described Wednesday’s weather event as a “100-year storm” that saw emergency crews respond to thousands of calls for service. Toronto Fire Services said they performed elevator and high-angle rescues as well as evacuated people from partially collapsed buildings. The Don Valley Parkway had to be shut down due to flooding, but it fully reopened on Thursday morning. Key details Follow along for live updates. Thousands still without power Toronto Hydro says there are 5,700 customers still without power as of 6:30 p.m. The utility company did not provide an exact time when power will be fully restored. “We know how difficult it is to be without power and appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as restoration efforts continue. Our crews remain fully committed to restoring service and will continue working until all affected customers have been restored,” Toronto Hydro spokesperson Samir Siddiqui said in a statement. The company noted that the number of customers without electricity may continue to fluctuate as additional outages are reported and crews continue to assess damage. Bryann Aguilar, CP24.com journalist ‘I thought my windows were going to break’ Residents of a North York neighbourhood are still waiting for the city to clear the several downed trees along their street following Wednesday’s storm. Speaking to CP24 on Thursday, they recounted what transpired. Alex Gropper was inside his home when the storm arrived. “I do remember as a kid having had hail and so on, but I’ve never seen it like that. And I’ve been living in this city since 1953,” Gropper said. “I thought my windows were going to break. The hail was that strong. It was great. Usually, Toronto gets spared, but this time I guess our luck broke.” He noted that his son, who lives in the area of Wilson Avenue and Bathurst Street, had his basement flooded. “This looks pretty bad,” he said, pointing at the fallen trees, one of which is resting on top of a car. Adam Dulberg said he saw a tree “snapped like a twig.” He shared that the storm was so bad that, at one point, he couldn’t see anything out the window. “It was kind of crazy. It came fast. Power went out. Power came back on, and it was over,” Dulberg said. Another resident, Sylvia Simone, echoed what Dulberg said: “Never seen anything like it.” The storm toppled trees, which downed the fence in her backyard. Simone shared that she had to drive on the sidewalk to get to her driveway due to the trees blocking the road. She called 311, who told her that it could take three days before crews could come. “It’s pretty bad,” she said. Bryann Aguilar, CP24.com journalist, and Beatrice Vaisman, CP24 reporter Storm damages Toronto Wildlife Centre facility The Toronto Wildlife Centre says one of its outdoor aviaries was completely destroyed during the storm while another outdoor enclosure sustained moderate damage. Five recovering pigeons inside the destroyed aviary escaped, TWC said. They also shared in a social media post that a large portion of the security fencing around the enclosures was knocked down. “Fortunately, no people were injured and thanks to the rapid response from our dedicated staff and volunteers, the wild patients are safe,” TWC said. The centre also shared that the facility was flooded, windows were shattered, and the roof and garage door were damaged. Bryann Aguilar, CP24.com journalist Tornado confirmed near Kitchener Environment Canada says a tornado was confirmed on radar northwest of Kitchener, Ont. Around 5:30 p.m. The federal agency says the Northern Tornadoes Project will be surveying the damage to determine the tornado rating. Read more here. Bryann Aguilar, CP24.com journalist Wednesday’s storm by the numbers Environment Canada has released new preliminary information about Wednesday’s storm. Here’s a by-the-numbers look at the hail, rain, and wind that the GTA encountered. RAINFALL (in millimetres) HAIL (in centimetres) WIND (in km/h) Environment Canada noted that its radar estimated winds of more than 130 km/h, so the numbers “may not make these reports representative.” Bryann Aguilar, CP24.com journalist Some of the worst floods to hit Toronto in recent years Punishing storms swept through much of southern Ontario on Wednesday evening, leaving thousands without power, damaging buildings and flooding roads. Toronto was among the hard-hit areas, with officials noting there was rainfall of more than 100 millimetres in parts of the city. Here’s a list of some of the other storms of note from recent years that led to flooding and other damage in the Toronto area. The Canadian Press Contact insurer ‘as soon as possible’ In the aftermath of the storm, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is advising homeowners who sustained damage to their property to contact their insurance provider “as soon as possible” to start a claim. IBC says that, as soon as it is safe to do so, homeowners should access and document any damage, including taking photos. If possible, assembling proof of purchases and receipts can be useful in processing a claim. Homeowners are encouraged to keep any damaged items, so long as they don’t’ pose a health hazard, such as wet or mold damaged items. Any discarded items should be recorded and photographed before they are disposed of. The IBC notes that insurance coverage will differ from homeowner to homeowner. For example, water damage due to sewer backup is only covered if you have purchased specific, optional sewer backup coverage. As well, overland flood damage, which occurs when bodies of waters such as rivers overflow onto dry land, is also optional. Phil Tsekouras, CTVNewsToronto.ca journalist Precipitation tallies across the GTA According to the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS), a network of volunteer weather observers that log precipitation in their neighbourhoods, Toronto’s east end saw 54.4 millimetres of rainfall as of Thursday morning. Etobicoke saw 33.5 millimetres of precipitation by 7 a.m. Thursday. Mississauga logged 62.5 millimetres of rainfall, while Bolton, Ont., saw 92.5 millimetres. Alex Arsenych, CTVNewsToronto.ca journalist Province working with cities on cleanup Premier Doug Ford said in a social media post on Thursday that the province is working closely with all impacted municipalities in the wake of Wednesday’s storm, while they assess damages and start cleanup. “We stand ready to help wherever is needed,” Ford wrote. Alex Arsenych, CTVNewsToronto.ca journalist ‘Full service today’ on TTC Due to the massive preparations ahead of Wednesday’s walloping thunderstorm, TTC’s CEO Mandeep Lali said service on Thursday has been largely unaffected. Lali credited all staff across the TTC for their efforts, from dispatchers to streetcar operators to janitorial staff. “They ensured that the service we delivered, and we delivered well, a very good service, prior to this storm, during this storm and after this storm,” Lali told reporters on Thursday morning. “A testament to that is we have full service today.” Lali said there were some “pinch points” seen along a few areas of their transit network, pointing to Union and St. Patrick stations. The TTC’s website was also temporarily downed as a result of power outages, though Lali says they were able to issue service alerts expediently. Alex Arsenych, CTVNewsToronto.ca journalist Evergreen Brick Works closed The historic brick factory located on Bayview Avenue, adjacent to the Don Valley Parkway, announced its closure on Thursday morning online. It says it’s closing as a direct result of the storm and flooding. “Site access is restricted (no entry from Bayview) while we focus on cleanup and recovery,” Evergreen Brick Works said in a Facebook post. All events and activities are cancelled for the day, and the Picnic Café is also closed. It is unclear at this time when it will reopen. Alex Arsenych, CTVNewsToronto.ca journalist Toronto Hydro has restored power to 90 per cent of customers Dan Smart, of Toronto Hydro, said crews have been able to restore power to about 90 per cent of customers, with roughly 6,000 remaining without power. “That’s a result of our crews and system operators working 24/7 through the night,” he said at city hall on Thursday morning. “We’ve made significant progress and public safety remains our top priority. Codi Wilson, CP24.com journalist Toronto Fire sees highest number of calls since ice storm Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop said crews responded to nearly 1,500 calls over a 24-hour period, noting that it was the second-highest call volume the service has seen in a single day after the ice storm in 2013. He said crews, along with police and paramedics, responded to calls ranging from structure fires, high-angle rescues from collapsed scaffolding, elevator entrapments, water rescues, and rescues involving partial building collapses. “At one point on our app, we had over 400 active 911 calls,” Jessop said. “The very fact that we have not have any reported major, significant injuries or fatalities shows that the system worked.” Codi Wilson, CP24.com journalist Beaches may be impacted this weekend City Manager Paul Johnson noted that as a result of having to go on bypass for some water treatment and sewage treatment plants, some beaches may be impacted this weekend. He urged people to check the city’s website for updates. Outdoor pools are “in recovery mode” and some may not open today due to excessive debris. The CNE is open as usual on Thursday, he added. It will take the city a few days to get to all of the fallen trees, Johnson said. Codi Wilson, CP24.com journalist ‘100-year storm’ Johnson 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. Codi Wilson, CP24.com journalist ‘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. “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.” Codi Wilson, CP24.com journalist 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, CP24.com journalist 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, CTVNewsToronto.ca 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, CP24.com journalist 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, CP24.com journalist 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, CTVNewsToronto.ca 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, CP24.com journalist 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, CP24.com journalist 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, CP24.com journalist 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, CP24.com journalist 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, CP24.com journalist 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 is unclear how many still remain without electricity this morning. Codi Wilson, CP24.com journalist 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, CP24.com journalist
