Heavy rain will test city's sewers, eavestroughs and umbrellas
Residents asked to keep an eye out for clogged catch basins
It's coming in time for this morning's commute: Rain, rain and more rain.
After the deluge began overnight, Torontonians can expect possibly another 50 millimetres of rain over the course of today. That's a lot for this city's eavestroughs, streets and drains to handle.
Can the city handle that much water?
Lou Di Gironimo, the general manager of Toronto Water, said the city's storm readiness plan is in place. Crews are available 24/7 to respond to flooding calls.
"It's going to be a busy day," he said during an interview on Metro Morning just after 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
"It's already started with some water main breaks throughout the city."
"We've had crews out throughout the evening, checking storm drains, making sure that leaves aren't collecting on top of catch basins. That's the biggest complication and worry right now."
He said the city undertakes regular inspections, cleaning and maintenance of more than 10,000 kilometres of sewer pipes to makes sure all is in working order.
But he did warn about areas of ponding, especially near sidewalks. This can be a hazard for bikes, cars and pedestrians.
Flooding can happen when catch basins become clogged with leaves. Clogged catch basins can result in street flooding, which can lead to flooded basements. Transportation Services staff will be out working to keep catch basins clear, but the city is also asking residents to clear sewers and catch basins on their streets if possible.
Di Gironimo said low-lying areas, areas near creeks and rivers and streets that run under overpasses are the biggest concern.
"In the city, the hard surface, it creates a flash-flood effect with water as it channels toward our creeks and rivers," he said.
Di Gironimo said so long as the rain falls steadily throughout the day, there shouldn't be too many drainage problems.
"It all depends on how heavy the rain is in a short period of time," he said. "That's where we've seen the change within the last five or 10 years. We're seeing much more rain falling in a short period of time. That overwhelms the city systems. It's like a bathtub. If you fill it slowly, no problem. If you try to fill it with a fire hose, it will overflow."
Remnants of Hurricane Patricia
CBC meteorologist Jay Scotland said the rain is from the remnants of what once was Hurricane Patricia. They have merged with a clipper system out of the Prairies. That means a soggy and windy Wednesday, with Scotland predicting as much as 40-60+ mm of rain here in the GTA.
He says the rain will reach the GTA very early tomorrow morning (around 4-5 am) and become heavier through the morning commute.The heaviest rain will fall from the mid-morning through late afternoon, calling it an "all day rain event."
Winds will also be very strong with gusts from 40-70 km/h possible.