Heavy rain floods Toronto streets, snarls transit

© Garnet Fraser / Toronto Star

A car is stuck in water on Ossington Ave. at the CP Rail underpass.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms wreaked havoc on Toronto streets Thursday night, leaving cars stuck in water at several flooded intersections and lengthening the commute for many Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) riders trying to get home.

Subway service was suspended both ways between York Mills and Eglinton stations due to flooding at Lawrence Station, which was to remain closed until the morning, according to the TTC.

Hundreds of people were lining up to catch one of the 28 shuttle buses running between York Mills and Eglinton stations. On social media, commuters were posting photos of the long lines, water on subway tracks, as well as flooding on buses.

A number of other TTC service alerts were issued as well, and they can be seen here. Regular service was restored on some of the previously disrupted routes.

Environment Canada also issued a special weather statement for Toronto and parts of the GTA, with an expected 50 mm of rain on Thursday night. The advisory ended for Toronto on Thursday night, but the rainfall warning continued for York and Durham regions.

Environment Canada warned that heavy downpours could cause flash floods, water pooling on roads, and localized flooding in low-lying areas.

Toronto Hydro workers were scrambling to deal with a number of power outages in Scarborough and East York. Crews were dispatched, but there was no predicted restoration time as damage caused by rain and lightning would have to be assessed first.

In Markham, over 4,000 people were affected by power outages, but PowerStream was quickly able to bring that number down to 124, with an expected full restoration time of 2 a.m.