TORONTO (AP) — A major highway, several thoroughfares and a major transit hub were flooded in Canada’s largest city on Tuesday after torrential rain lashed Toronto, while power outages were reported in several areas.
Toronto police said part of the Don Valley Parkway, which runs from the northern part of the city to the city center, was closed due to flooding. They also said part of Lakeshore Boulevard, which runs along Lake Ontario, was flooded and closed.
Toronto Firefighters said they rescued two people from floodwaters on the highway – one from inside the vehicle and the other from the roof of the car – and later rescued 12 other people from floodwaters further down the highway.
Fire crews also responded to an “extremely high” number of flood-related rescues and elevator entrapments, the service said.
In downtown Toronto, flooding was reported at Union Station, a major transit terminal. Subway trains were not stopping in Union, the Toronto Transit Commission said, while several buses and streetcars detoured from their regular routes through the city due to localized flooding.
Billy Bishop Airport, located on the Toronto Islands just minutes from the city center, said its pedestrian tunnel was closed due to flooding, with passengers told to take the ferry to the airport.
Flooding also disrupted life in many other parts of the Greater Toronto Area, with provincial police warning of flooding on parts of highways and local police forces urging caution.
In Peel Region, west of Toronto, police said they had reports of manhole covers lifted due to the amount of rain and urged residents to be careful when driving.
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority issued a flood warning and said shorelines, rivers and streams in the Greater Toronto Area should be considered hazardous.
Environment Canada issued rain warnings for the Greater Toronto Area and much of southern Ontario as a mix of heavy rain and thunderstorms moved through the region.
He had warned there could be rainfall of up to 125 millimeters in parts of the Greater Toronto Area.
