Toronto Deluge: Floods Paralyze City, Disrupt Services

Torrential rain on Tuesday caused flash floods in Toronto, disrupting power, traffic, and flights. Over 123,000 customers lost power, and parts of the city were submerged. Climate change is leading to similar intense storms worldwide, straining outdated infrastructure. Despite flooding, emergency services and stock trading remained unaffected.

Torrential rain on Tuesday triggered flash flooding across Toronto, Canada's financial hub, leading to significant power outages, traffic disruptions, and flight cancellations. Toronto Hydro reported that around 123,000 customers were left without power due to suspected flooding at a transmission station.

Billy Bishop Airport faced delays as its underwater pedestrian tunnel closed temporarily due to flooding. Downtown Toronto's vibrant lunchtime scene was disrupted, with many restaurants going dark and traffic lights causing massive congestion.

Weather experts attribute the increasing frequency of such intense storms to climate change, stressing that many cities lack infrastructure capable of handling these heavy downpours. The Toronto Transit Commission ceased operation at Union Station, and Go Transit faced disruptions due to the flooding.

The Don Valley Parkway transformed into a river-like scene, with numerous vehicles stalled in deep, muddy water. Brandon Rolle, 24, was stranded for two hours before being rescued, although his car remained stuck until it could be towed. The rains ceased around midday, with Environment Canada predicting partly cloudy skies for the rest of the day.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow confirmed that emergency services continued functioning despite the flood, and the Toronto Stock Exchange reported normal trading activity.

(With inputs from agencies.)