Lower Simcoe is the worst place to drive in Toronto when it rains
Tuesday night's vicious rain storm in Toronto brought with it yet another reminder that everyone should stay the heck away from Lower Simcoe Street when it rains.
The underpass between Front Street and Bremner Boulevard, right next to Union Station, is well known for turning into its own mini version of Lake Ontario (Little Lake Simcoe?) whenever things get floody in The 6ix.
Massive flooding Lakeshore and Lower Simcoe. Forget buck a beer! We need infrastructure! @dmrider @FordNationsNews @globeandmail pic.twitter.com/eN6BRLTHVM
— Stephen Tustin (@stustin) August 8, 2018
One of the most famous cases of this happening took place all the way back in July of 2013, roughly four years after the tunnel had opened, when a local lawyer abandoned his $200,000+ Ferrari in the waters of Lower Simcoe Street.
Howard Levitt bailed into sewage-filled waters at the time, as he was going to be late for a flight, and became a viral sensation in the process.
Someone left their $300,000 ferrari submerged in sewage water on lower simcoe if anyone's interested.. #TorontoFlood pic.twitter.com/DTLeubNP73
— Hira Ahmed (@TweetsByHira) July 9, 2013
He's far from the only person ever to have done so, however. Cars continue to get stuck on the depressed roadway during storms with some regularity, because people like to tempt fate, forget about the flooding, or are just tourists.
Whatever the case, it happened again last night when the city was pelted with a full month's worth of rain in just two hours, much of it hitting the downtown core.
not sure if my photo is doing justice to the fact that lower simcoe/york st/queens quay is just.. one big lake......??! pic.twitter.com/smRTbT6My6
— emma (@blownsaves) August 8, 2018
The occupants of no less than four vehicles had to be rescued by Toronto Police Marine Unit officers on Tuesday night after getting stuck in the water on Lower Simcoe Street.
Thunderstorm aftermath in Toronto. Lower Simcoe street. There were drunks swimming in it up to their necks, but I didn't get there in time to capture them in a photo. pic.twitter.com/rWCBE9ZIit
— Peter Constantinidis (@bugler) August 8, 2018
And yet, cars just kept on driving into the tunnel...
A very flooded Lower Simcoe, Toronto pic.twitter.com/pJgin9o8nS
— Represto (@Represto) August 8, 2018
Even as the water level rose up past the tops of their wheel wells.
Lower Simcoe St. #torontofloods #flood @BillCoulterTO pic.twitter.com/fWxALEzbsI
— Matt Spencer (@mattyspence) August 8, 2018
"Did someone lose their car in Lower Simcoe underpass flooding AGAIN?!?" remarked someone on Twitter as footage from the scene spread online.
The answer to that question is "no." Someone didn't lose their car in the Lower Simcoe underpass due to flooding again. Four people lost their cars in the Lower Simcoe underpass due to flooding. Again.
