The leftovers from Toronto’s snow storm are still piled high on the streets of flood-prone neighbourhoods like the Beaches and with rising temperatures and a rainstorm expected Wednesday, residents are concerned about potential flooding.
“We’re the bottom, it’s a big city and a lot of water comes in… it could be a problem,” said Beaches resident Wayne Flippance
“I just finished fixing the basement up so I don’t want to go through it again,” added Stewart Cruickshank, another Beaches resident.
The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) has now issued a Watershed Conditions Statement, warning flooding from the river systems is possible in TRCA watersheds due to rain and snow/ice melt.
This could lead to high runoff and cause ice jams, according to the TRCA.
“If it’s warmer tomorrow than anticipated, if we get heavier rain than anticipated, then we move into that risky situation,” said David Kellershohn with the TRCA.
Currently, CityNews meteorologist Natasha Ramsahai said the city could see up to 25 millimetres of rain on Wednesday.
In the low lying areas of the Don River, snow has already started to melt off into the water. “If you get a significant blockage, very quickly in ways that are hard to predict you could have the Don River back up and very quickly spill onto the highway,” said Kellershohn “So where we might normally be able to predict the river coming up over an hour or two, we’re probably talking minutes.”
Cruickshank and Flippance were hit hard by the floods last summer and after tens of thousands of dollars in damages, it’s a nightmare they’d rather not live through again.
Residents here have asked for snow to be removed, but weeks after the storm, whatever hasn’t melted, is still just sitting here.
“We talked to them when they were clearing snow and we said this should be a priority to get that cleared off, no, it’s not even on their radar,” said Cruickshank.
“Why wouldn’t they come and take some of it away on this street specifically, we’re the lowest point,” added Flippance.
The City of Toronto tells CityNews in a statement, they’ve deployed crews to clear catch basins in low-lying areas, including on the Don Valley Parkway.
“The City will also have equipment and crews on standby and available to respond 24/7 to quickly respond to any flooding that occurs. The City’s snow removal operations have helped to reduce the volume of snow that could melt and contribute to flooding,” read the statement.
