|
Heavy rain expected throughout day in Toronto: City's storm readiness plans in place
Environment Canada has issued a severe weather statement for Toronto due to potential heavy rainfall. The City of Toronto is advising everyone to take extra care when travelling and to take precautionary steps to protect their property and ensure their safety.
With the intermittent heavy rain expected today, visibility may be limited. Please walk, bike and drive with caution. Motorists and cyclists should be extremely cautious around areas of ponding, and be mindful near sidewalks where pedestrians are present.
Transportation Services staff are monitoring conditions on the roads and working to keep catch basins clear. Residents are asked to assist in clearing catch basins on their streets, where safe to do so, if they become clogged, as this can result in street flooding and potentially basement flooding.
Toronto Water's storm readiness plan is in place. The City's crews are available 24/7 to respond to flooding calls. The City undertakes regular inspections, cleaning and maintenance of more than 10,000 kilometres of sewer pipes to ensure that the system operates well and has long term capital plans in place to help alleviate basement flooding.
The City also has additional staff at Union Station prepared to quickly respond to any potential flooding caused by heavy rainfalls. Check with transit officials for information on travel and possible schedule changes.
Safety during severe rain or storms
There are several ways homeowners can protect themselves and their families in the event of a flood. In the home:
• Try to remain indoors.
• Move valuables in your basement to shelves or upper floors.
• Cleaners, paint or chemicals should also be taken off the floor so that they do not further contaminate potential floodwater.
• Ensure your downspout is draining onto a permeable surface.
In the event of a flooded basement:
• Call 311 immediately to report basement flooding. During extreme weather conditions residents should expect high call volumes and some delays. Calls will be answered by the first available agent.
• Do not enter a flooded basement. If flooding occurs in your basement and your power is on, call Toronto Hydro at 416-542-8000 to disconnect your power.
• Call your insurance company as soon as possible to report property damage caused by flooding.
• Reduce or eliminate water use in the home (don't do laundry, wash dishes, flush the toilet, etc.), if you have already experienced a sewer backup or your backwater valve has been activated, as this household water could end up in your basement.
• Be mindful of your health and safety when cleaning up a flooded basement – do not stand in flood water – call a professional for assistance.
On the road:
• Avoid driving, especially in low-lying areas where flooding is known to occur.
• Exercise caution when driving and avoid low lying roadways and underpasses.
• Do not drive through deep water.
• If traffic signals are out, treat the affected intersections as a four-way stop.
• Residents can assist by cleaning catch basins in front of their house to help water run off the roads and reduce the risk of flooded streets.
• Streams, creeks and rivers may have higher water levels during and in the days after heavy rainfall – avoid such areas whenever possible and use extreme caution.
Use this as an opportunity to take precautions in advance of the next storm to protect your properties from possible flooding:
• Take advantage of the City's Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy Program, in which the City offers owners of single-family, duplex and triplex residential homes a subsidy of up to $3,400 per property to install flood protection devices.
• Disconnect your downspouts from the sewer system.
• Be sure the grading around your home drains water away from all exterior walls.
• Check for and fix leaks in basement walls, floors, windows and foundations.
• Clear eavestroughs and downspouts of leaves and other debris preventing proper drainage.
• More information about basement flooding is available on the City of Toronto’s website at http://www.toronto.ca/basementflooding.
Check Environment Canada for the latest weather details at https://weather.gc.ca/.
Follow @TorontoComms for the latest updates from the City. |
相关文章
