Heavy rains across Canada ramping up flooding concerns
It is extraordinarily rare for a country as large as Canada to be on alert for flooding in so many disparate regions simultaneously, but that is exactly what has transpired over the past few days—and what will continue for days to come.
In various locations from the Pacific coast all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, communities are either dealing with or bracing for heavy rainfall. That issue began in Quebec, which has been experiencing flooding for several days now, with an estimated 132 municipalities and 1,400 residences affected. Rivers around the province have been overflowing and Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the majority of Quebec.
It has done the same for much of eastern and southern Ontario, a chunk of southern British Columbia, and almost all of Nova Scotia. The situations have escalated to the point where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the federal government has begun to engage with provinces on providing aid for the flooding.
While flooding is horrible and hugely inconvenient wherever it takes place, it could prove most disruptive in Toronto, where thousands of residents and commuters may be affected. Rain has been coming down consistently in Canada's largest city since early Thursday afternoon, and experts believe that this precipitation period could prove to be comparable to the summer 2013 rainfall that saw cars get stuck in floodwaters, the TTC's Kipling Station infiltrated, and low-lying areas all across Toronto get overcome with water. City officials have put out a pre-emptive warning that the Don Valley Parkway may be closed Friday afternoon if flood runoff from the Don River reaches a breaking point.
Flooding poses an especially difficult challenge for residents of the Toronto Islands. They are highly susceptible to floods and have already begun preparing to mitigate any water damage with sandbags and shovels at the ready. Island resident David Smiley commented that "There are some people who are truly disturbed and wondering in insurance is going to cover them if there is a problem." Standard home insurance policies do not cover flooding, so the level of coverage affected homeowners receive will depend on how much extra insurance they have opted for.