Ontario – Massive Rain Storm Hits Parts Of Toronto; Jewish Community Flooded, Thousands Remain In The Dark (photos)

Ontario – A massive storm swept through Toronto late this afternoon, flooding city streets with record rains and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of area residents.

The storm, which began at approximately 4 PM, dumped as much as three and a half inches of Toronto in a relatively short amount of time, bringing the largest city in Canada to a virtual standstill just as rush hour began, with rainfall totals expected to exceed four inches as the night wears on.

According to reports on CBC News Toronto, approximately 300,000 people are currently without power and the Toronto Transit Commission suspended all subway service shortly after 6 PM due to power and signal issues, with some riders trapped in subway cars until power could be restored. While some lines were reopened as of 8 PM, riders were warned to expect “severe delays.” All flights were cancelled out of Billy Bishop Airport with numerous delays and cancellations at Pearson International Airport.

Toronto CTV News is reporting that shuttle busses are running in some areas, but are having difficulty navigating the flooded streets, many of which are dotted with abandoned cars. Social media sites have been deluged with pictures of submerged cars, flooded streets and parking lots, sent in by area residents.

Toronto police issued an advisory asking all residents to “remain in their homes, avoid underpasses and low-lying areas. If in a stalled vehicle, please remain in your vehicle if possible until help arrives.” Environment Canada urged drivers to avoid driving through any flooded roadways.

While Toronto’s Jewish residents escaped the heaviest of the flooding, the night has proven to be dark and wet and the unprecedented rains have made this storm a memorable one.

“Streets are flooded past the curbs, my basement is flooding and people are swimming in the subway,” North York resident Dassi Slater told VIN News.

“It is chaos here,” reported Mendy Friedman executive director of Hatzalah Toronto. “We have a blackout, a rainstorm and a bunch of flooded basements. It is dark everywhere and we are not prepared for this. They are not making any promises about when power will be restored so we are in limbo and hoping for the best.”

According to Friedman, the greatest need right now is for generators and pumps to empty out submerged basements.

“I just got off the phone with Misaskim in New York and they are standing by with fifteen generators, should we need them” said Friedman.

“The whole Jewish area is dark and everyone is sitting out on their porches,” said one Bathurst resident, who reported five feet of water in his own basement. “Everything here is closed: the banks are closed, Kosher City is closed and getting up north on Bathurst is close to impossible. The weather tonight is warm and muggy and everyone is missing their air conditioning.”

Using social media to reach the public the 32 Division Community Response Unit of the Toronto Police warned residents to stay away from downed wires, asked them to check in on their elderly and special needs neighbors, and offered words of encouragement tweeting, “All hands are on deck working to get things sorted out, hang in there Toronto.”

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