dark and soggy in GTA
The big news, where I am today, is that an enormous storm hit Toronto at 4:30 PM yesterday.
As you can see, up here on the 8th floor of our hotel, it just looked like an approaching typical thunderstorm to us.
We went down at 6:30 to catch a cab and we were surprised to not find one. There were two other groups ahead of us. We waited about 10 to 15 minutes until the 3rd taxi pulled up and then we headed off to dinner.
Via Twitter
Only then did we begin hearing that it was not an average storm in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). But rather a massive storm, the sort of summer storm they haven’t seen here for decades.
Via Twitter
Power is out to more than 83% of the area.
Via Twitter
Subways and the GO trains aren’t running because they are respectively flooded or floating.
Via Twitter
Via Twitter
Flooding is everywhere, except where we happen to be in the downtown area. Here, the lights are on and although there is no flooding, the streets are lined five-deep with people in suits and skirts waiting for the buses to pick them up and get them home to see if their homes are consumed by water.
Via Twitter
And we were clueless. It’s crazy! I feel so bad for the people of Toronto. They had more inches (or the metric equivalent of inches) of rain late this afternoon and this evening than the record for the entire month of July!
This photo is taken out the taxi window on our drive back, after dinner.
And this is my favorite Twitter pic. Nice to see people keep their sense of humor in difficult moments.
When we arrived back at the hotel, power was still on and we were dry, safe, and sound… and no longer clueless.
This morning, as I type this we are getting ready to check out and cross back over into the States, it looks clear but soggy outside.
Here are a couple of links to news stories from yesterday:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/07
/08/environment_canada_issues_special_weather_statement_for_thunderstorms.html
http://www.torontosun.com/2013/07/08/wild-rainstorm-in-toronto-causes-flooding
3 comments
Gosh Linda-so glad you weren’t more affected. Be safe on your the remainder of your travels! I am smiling because the same thing happened to us on Tokyo in the Fall. We went through our bldg lobby to dinner and our front desk people looked @ us kind of strange. We knew it was rainy and blowing outside but we had umbrellas and outerwear for rain so we didn’t see what the big deal was. . . . until we got outside. Tokyo was experiencing one of their worst tropical typhoons in 50 years! It was all over their news; but why would we watch when can’t understand a word they are saying anyway.???? After a short walk to the restaurant, we arrived looking like we had just stepped out the shower. We were also the ONLY people there. Too funny-oh well. The perils of traveling or living in a foreign country. Oxoxox
Oh Lori, your story makes me miss you all the more! We were also in a nearly empty restaurant. Two other tables were taken when we arrived, but no one new came the rest of the night. The phone rang most of the time and we heard the wait staff and bartender answering them saying, “That’s OK, we understand, stay safe.” to the callers on the other end of the line … calling in to cancel their reservations. We are back on American soil now and will be for the remaining 2-week portion of our trip. Love you! xoox
Ha that Rose & Jack pic is pretty funny!
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