TORONTO — Thousands of homes and businesses across the Greater Toronto Area and parts of Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe remained without electricity Thursday morning after powerful storms swept through the region, bringing torrential rain, large hail, flooding and widespread damage.
The severe weather struck southern Ontario on Wednesday, disrupting transportation, damaging infrastructure and knocking out power to tens of thousands of customers.
Toronto Hydro reported that approximately 8,300 homes and businesses were still without power early Thursday.
Hydro One, the provincially owned electricity utility, said more than 58,000 customers across Ontario remained offline as crews worked to repair damaged lines and restore service.
The storm caused significant flooding in Toronto, forcing the temporary closure of several major roads.
Parts of Yonge Street and the Don Valley Parkway were affected, with vehicles becoming stranded in deep water as intense rainfall overwhelmed drainage systems.
Photos from the storm showed cars sitting in floodwater along the Don Valley Parkway while motorists waited for conditions to improve.
Public transit was also disrupted during the busy Wednesday afternoon rush hour, with flooding forcing temporary suspensions on portions of Toronto’s subway system.
The rapidly developing storm brought dark skies across downtown Toronto while communities farther north were hit by large hail.
Videos shared on social media showed hailstones pounding streets, homes and vehicles, while heavy downpours flooded roads and transit facilities and sent pedestrians scrambling for shelter.
Weather conditions were severe enough that parts of southern Ontario also faced the risk of tornado development.
The storm created problems at Toronto Pearson International Airport, where passengers experienced flight delays and cancellations as thunderstorms moved through the region.
Strong winds and intense weather also caused significant damage at Rogers Stadium, the 50,000-capacity outdoor music venue in Toronto’s north end.
Utility crews continued working Thursday to repair damaged equipment, remove fallen trees and reconnect customers.
Restoration efforts can take longer in areas where trees have brought down multiple power lines or where flooding makes damaged infrastructure difficult or unsafe for crews to reach.
Residents are being reminded to stay away from downed electrical wires and to treat any fallen power line as live and dangerous.
The storm is another reminder of how quickly severe summer weather can overwhelm transportation and electrical infrastructure across heavily populated areas of southern Ontario.
For many residents, the immediate priority Thursday remains the restoration of electricity and the cleanup of flooded streets, damaged trees and properties.
With tens of thousands of Hydro One customers and thousands more in Toronto still without power, recovery efforts are expected to continue as crews assess the full extent of the damage left behind by Wednesday’s destructive storm.