Drake’s Toronto mansion was heavily impacted by a severe storm that recently struck the city, resulting in significant flooding. The renowned musician shared a video on Instagram, showing his home inundated with water, highlighting the severe impact of the storm on residential areas.
Drake's Toronto home flooded after a severe storm hit the city. pic.twitter.com/FVanw9xazy
— BoreCure (@CureBore) July 16, 2024
In a span of just three hours, Toronto was hit by three consecutive thunderstorms that delivered an unprecedented deluge, surpassing the usual monthly rainfall by 25%. According to Meteorologist Dave Phillips, 96 millimeters of rain were recorded at Toronto Pearson Airport by 2:30 PM, far exceeding the previous record of 25.9 millimeters for the same date set in 1941.
The weather system, described by Phillips as a “freight train” of moisture originating from the Gulf of Mexico, moved slowly from London, Ontario, through Toronto. The storm began just before 9 AM and lasted until around 1 PM, accompanied by several severe thunderstorm and rainfall warnings. The intensity of the rain reduced visibility to less than two kilometers, creating conditions similar to those seen in hurricanes.
Not a fun day to be driving in Toronto. 😳 pic.twitter.com/H7leOLv87A
— Canada Proud (@WeAreCanProud) July 16, 2024
The torrential downpour caused widespread flooding, affecting highways, roads, and public transit systems, and left hundreds of thousands of hydro customers without power. Phillips noted that the city’s infrastructure, already saturated from a wet spring and early summer, was unable to cope with the volume of water, leading to overworked systems and severe flooding. “It was overworked,” Phillips said. “We’re a different city. I mean, 20, 30 years ago, there was more green space. You could handle that.”
The aftermath of the storm saw extensive cleanup efforts, with the Don Valley Parkway among the severely affected areas requiring hours of work to clear the floodwaters. The storm was reminiscent of a similar event eleven years ago, which resulted in one of Ontario’s most expensive natural disasters. This event has raised concerns about Toronto’s infrastructure and its ability to handle extreme weather conditions in the future as the city continues to develop and green spaces become more limited.
