Toronto looked like a disaster movie during biggest storm of summer
Toronto is in recovery mode after a destructive summer storm slammed into the city on Wednesday evening.
Despite ominous predictions ahead of the weather system, the sudden and extreme rainfall, winds, and hail caught many in the city off guard, leaving cars stranded in flooded roadways and causing the closure and cancellation of several local events.
And for anyone who was following along on social media, it was almost like watching a disaster movie.
Intense winds looked like something out of a hurricane news broadcast, with trees bent and uprooted across the region.
Scenes of huge hailstones raining down on cars amid intense winds have taken over social media feeds.
Toronto streets looked like bodies of water, with cars and pedestrians having to slosh through ankle- and sometimes waist-deep water.
In some cases, you likely would have needed a boat to get around.
The storm also walloped the suburbs, and riders on one York Region Transit bus must have felt like they were on the sinking Titanic as the vehicle passed through floodwater.
Vaughan was basically a lake.
In one clip, furniture could be seen floating down a flooded residential street.
And it was also a messy scene underground, like this waterfall that appeared on the platform of Spadina Station.
It was a similar scene at other TTC subway stations.
Balcony furniture wasn't spared from the intense wind, and one outdoor couch even blew off a balcony onto the roadway below.
The CNE was shut down early on Wednesday evening amid stormy conditions, and it's no surprise why when you see footage captured from the midway. The Toronto Zoo also delayed the debut of its new Glow In The Wild attraction due to the extreme weather.
In one shocking clip, dashcam footage captures the moment a roof was ripped apart at Caledonia and Lawrence, scattering debris in the path of cars.
roof blown off near Lawrence and Caledonia during the storm
by u/MorningOwl963 in toronto
At Bloor and Sherbourne, a streetlight could be seen flying through the intersection amid extreme wind gusts.
Widespread power outages are still affecting thousands of customers in the city, while local officials continue cleanup efforts following the historic storm.
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