Torontonians share scenes from massive summer storm that flooded DVP, Union Station

Many parts of Toronto are experiencing major flooding on Tuesday after a morning bout of torrential rain.

A portion of the Don Valley Parkway, a major highway in the city, has been closed due to flooding. Power outages have also been reported in other parts of Toronto like Parkdale, East York and Liberty Village and around the Greater Toronto Area, including Peel Region.

Environment Canada had issued rainfall warnings for the GTA and much of southern Ontario as a mix of heavy rain and thunderstorms moved across the region. It had warned that there could be rainfall amounts of up to 125 millimetres for parts of the GTA, and Hamilton could see up to 50 millimetres. The weather agency said 40 millimetres of rain fell within the hour in some localized areas.

Here’s a collection of social media posts, photos and videos displaying the aftermath of the heavy rain, and some of the city infrastructure affected.

Flash flooding on Lake Shore Blvd.

Lake Shore Blvd. from British Columbia Rd. to Strachan Ave. has been closed in both directions due to flooding in the area, Toronto police posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday afternoon.

The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority has issued a flood warning and says that shorelines, rivers and streams in the GTA should be considered dangerous. Many drivers added images and video to social media that showed what it looks like on the road.

Stores flooded inside Union Station

Several social media videos showed a flooded Union Station as commuters waded through the water to get to their destination.

Subway trains were not stopping at Union, the Toronto Transit Commission said, while several transit buses and streetcars were making detours on their regular routes across the city because of localized flooding.

Toronto City Hall, Billy Bishop Airport experience effects of flooding

Toronto councillors Josh Matlow and Dianne Saxe shared photos of maintenance staff working to fix leaks at Toronto City Hall.

Meanwhile, Billy Bishop Airport, which is located on the Toronto Islands minutes from downtown, said its pedestrian tunnel was closed as a precautionary measure, with passengers directed to take the ferry over to the airport.

Safety and storm drains

In Peel Region, west of Toronto, police say they have had reports of manhole covers lifting due to the volume of rain and were urging residents to use caution when driving.

Scenes from other parts of Toronto

In the aftermath of the heavy rains, social media posts showcase a range of the flooding disrupting life in many parts of the GTA – from cars being stuck on the streets of downtown Toronto to flooded subway stations to power outages to reports of flooded basements in residential areas – with local police forces urging caution.

Canadian rapper Drake shared a video of the flood in his mansion on his Instagram story.

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The scenes are reminiscent of the summer of 2013, when an extreme rainstorm flooded roads and railways across Toronto, in many of the same areas as today’s storm.

With reports from The Canadian Press and Fatima Raza