Downtown Toronto was inundated with heavy rain late Tuesday that closed several streets and underpasses due to flash flooding and prompted a dramatic elevator rescue.
Environment Canada had issued a special weather statement for the city earlier in the evening, saying between 50 and 100 millimetres of rain was expected in some locations, particularly near the lakeshore.
major flooding on the Allen ramp going to the 401 ????????????@CityNews @CP24 @CBCNews pic.twitter.com/Ml45oeFzqk
— Laura Toniolo (@laura_toniolo) August 8, 2018
The federal agency said more than 64 millimetres of rain had fallen at Billy Bishop Airport in just two hours.
The rain also filled several underpasses, including one in north-end Toronto, near Keele St. and Wilson Ave., that left three cars completely submerged. Police say everyone from the vehicles got out without injury.
Four cars were also trapped by rising water at a downtown underpass, Lower Simcoe and Bremner, and the police marine unit was called in to rescue the occupants. There were no injuries reported.
Heavy rain in Toronto tonight.....Epic Lounge at #RoyalYork Hotel in Toronto. Epic leak I would say. @CP24 pic.twitter.com/f2QASjcOmx
— Colin McSweeney (@cmcsweeney66) August 8, 2018
The deluge also caused problems at Toronto city hall. A staffer tweeted that the roof outside Mayor John Tory's office was leaking so badly that staff ran out of recycling bins and garbage cans to contain the water.
Environment Canada's special weather statement was lifted just before 11:30 p.m. as the heaviest showers moved out over Lake Ontario.
In one case, at a commercial building near Jane and Eglinton, the water became more than an inconvenience, it was a case of life or death.
At around 10:30pm, two men reported to police, they were trapped in an elevator that was quickly filling with water at the commercial building.
Cops say the two only had about a foot of airspace left inside the elevator, but the time officers arrived on scene. The doors were pried open and the two men were pulled from the elevator.
Both weren't badly hurt.
Flooding rescue: Alliance Ave / Rockcliffe Blvd
— Toronto Police OPS (@TPSOperations) August 8, 2018
-2 people stuck in an elevator in a bsmt building
-water was 6 ft high inside
-Police rescue 2 men with only 1 foot of air space left
-injuries reported, non life threatening
-TFS/EMS on scene#GO1452695
^ka