Areas of Beach effected by recent storms
Many areas in low-lying areas
Record rainfall in the GTA has also meant a whole host of flooded basements and homes including three areas of the Beach community and parts of Leslieville.
Flooding during exceptionally heavy rainfalls is a serious and long-standing issue in Toronto, said Ward 32 (Beaches-East York) Councillor Sandra Bussin.
"Because of climate change it appears that we need to be installing systems that can deal with greater water flows," Bussin said. "But nothing is going to be resolved overnight."
Bussin said she's received a large number of calls from angry and upset residents whose basements, garages and homes have flooded following days of rainfall. And she said she's feeling exasperated herself.
"It's a frustrating process. I've actually had it happen to me," she said, adding her staff is in the process of preparing public notices for affected homeowners encouraging them to make use of the city's basement flooding protection subsidy program.
The initiative is designed to help homeowners reduce their property's flooding risk.
"The problem is that in some areas, such as around the Beach, the properties are in low-lying areas. Despite intervention there's still flooding," she said, saying in particular many of the houses along Hubbard Boulevard are actually lower in elevation than Kew Beach and the boardwalk.
Bussin said she's received three different petitions demanding the city address flooding problems from residents living east of Woodbine Avenue on Hubbard, another from people residing near Dundas Street East and Greenwood Avenue and a third from residents near the Connaught Barns at Minto Street.
A particularly heavy rainfall earlier this month, on July 8, hit residents to the west of the Beach in Leslieville hard. Ward 30 (Toronto-Danforth) Councillor Paula Fletcher is asking city water staff to get in touch with affected residents.
"There's been sewage damage, water damage and we're asking staff to do some outreach to everybody that's had damage, and to look at that phenomenon," she said. "These are extreme weather events - it's a deluge in a quick period of time and the infrastructure isn't able to work at its best."
Bussin, meanwhile, promised to forward her residents' petitions to the works committee.
A total of 31 areas across the city have been identified as having ongoing flooding issues but Bussin vowed she'd be pushing for the affected ones in Ward 32 to be at the top of the city's repair list.
This September, the city will table a report looking at areas to be investigated and addressed.
Visit www.toronto.ca/water/sewers/basement_flooding.htm for more details about the subsidy program.
~ with files from David Nickle
