Flooding Toronto and Water Damage Restoration
Floods are mainly caused by naturally
happening changes in the height of oceans, rivers, and lakes. Floods are the
most common natural threat in the country and among the costliest according to
Public Safety Canada. Historic floods have happened across Canada, with several
of the worst occurring on key river systems that pass through populated zones.
Scientists predict that flooding linked to the effects of climate change will
increase as the 21st century progresses, especially in coastal zones of the
country.
Why Do Floods Occur?
The core cause of river flooding is
excessive runoff following heavy rains. The runoff rate can be increased by
urbanization (the alteration of open land to water-resistant surfaces such as buildings
and roads etc.) and by elimination or alteration of vegetative cover (i.e.
water runs off cropland faster than forested land). Runoff is also increased by
snowmelt in early spring. If about Canada, the peak flood season is spring.
Ice jams can also be the reason for
floods when upstream water is jammed by accumulations of ice. This often
happens at a constriction point in a river, for example, a bridge or a narrow
channel. Heavy storms can cause floods in the summer months, particularly in
small watersheds.
In floods caused by snowmelt and
spring runoff, a river usually rises slowly, letting time for the building of
temporary defenses or evacuation. If we compare, in storm floods water can rise
pretty rapidly. Likewise, when an ice jam breaks up, the resulting rush of
water can be very fast.
High-water problems also happen in
lakes, but typically the rate of fall and rise of the lake’s water level is
much slower than on rivers. Damage to shoreline installations and cottages is
not unusual on the Great Lakes as well as others.
Coastal flooding may be caused when
storm activity expands seasonally high tides or when a tsunami made by an
earthquake, is driven ashore. Tsunamis occur seldom on the West Coast. Coastal
flooding associated with hurricanes occasionally occurs in Atlantic Canada.
Scientists warn that these hurricanes may become stronger as sea-surface
temperatures warm because of climate change.
over-all, extreme weather events
related to flooding are expected to increase with climate change and Canada
and other countries may face even larger and more frequent floods in the
future.
Toronto flooding causes severe
damages
Most of Toronto is at risk of
flooding?
Urban areas are at risk of flooding
because they are usually formed around rivers, lakes, and harbors. Extreme
climate conditions such as heavy hurricanes, rainfall, melting snow, and ice
are the most common reasons for flooding in a city. Augmented urbanization also
contributes to flooding in cities. As a city progresses, the ground gets
covered in pavement, concrete, and other materials that avoid rainwater from
seeping into the soil and contribute to overflowing storm sewers. We can lessen
flooding on downtown streets by making more naturalized spaces like green roofs
where rainwater can be absorbed instead of running into storm sewers.
Flooding Toronto with severe damages
Hurricane Hazel swept through Toronto
with unparalleled force in 1954. Though Toronto is no stranger to flooding, the
first written account of a flood was in 1797 and various were unprepared for
the destruction this storm caused. On October 15, 1954, Hurricane Hazel
happened to Ontario. Within 24 hours more than two hundred millimeters of
rainwater had fallen over the city. The Humber River and Etobicoke Creek watershed,
as well as Holland Marsh, were the maximum affected bodies of water. These
areas started to overflow and an excess of rainfall devastated communities,
parks, roads, and public utilities. As an outcome of the storm, 80 people lost
their lives and thousands were left homeless. It is assessed that a storm of
this magnitude today would cause approximately $1 billion worth of damage.
A thunderstorm in Timmins in August
1961 made Town Creek flood, destroying homes and roads in the city and killing
5 people. In May 1986, flooding on the Winisk River near Hudson Bay wrecked the
Weenusk First Nation townsite and killed 2 people. The community resettled on
higher ground near Peawanuck.
The Great Lakes have been hit by
major floods when storms and high-water levels overlap. Over the years, damages
because of shoreline flooding and erosion have experienced hundreds of millions
of dollars in damage. The most severe Great Lakes floods happened in 1952,
1972–73 and 1985–87.
In August 2018, a thunderstorm formed
72 millimeters of rain over Toronto with 51 millimeters falling in just 1 hour.
The rainfall caused extensive flooding across western and central portions of
the city and resulted in over $80 million in insured damage.
According to Catastrophe Indices and
Quantification Inc, severe climate across Ontario has caused nearly $1 billion
damage in 2018, A big part of this amount is because of an initial May
windstorm that produced over $500 million damage. The costliest insured severe
weather event of all time for Ontario remains the 2013 Toronto floods, which
caused nearly $1 billion in damage.
The August storm caused in flooding
at Toronto's City Hall, in parts of Union Station, in the Scotiabank Arena
during a concert, and in the Rogers Centre parking garage, additionally, water
soaking through the Rogers Centre roof during a baseball game. Several
underground parking garages flooded, and there were abundant reports of the
submerged flooded basement, vehicles, and sewer backups.
The vice president of IBC Ontario, Kim
Donaldson said that the recent Toronto flood is yet one more instance of an
increase in severe climate events across the country. As a direct outcome of
climate change, these flooding events are happening more frequently and with
greater intensity, with escalating prices to both taxpayers and insurers.
Flooding can cause more damage in a
very short amount of time. It is critically significant for consumers to know
what their policies cover and whether they offer sewer backup or overland flood
protection. Sewer backup coverage is broadly available as an add-on to major
standard home insurance policies. Overland flood protection is available across
the province from many insurers. People who live in areas prone to regular
floods may run into difficulty discovering affordable coverage. Consumers
should check with their insurance representatives to get what options are
available to them.
Important Facts
In 2018, severe climate events in
Ontario have resulted in nearly $1 billion in insured damage. In February 2018,
a winter storm in Brantford, Cambridge, the Greater Toronto Area and London
caused more than $46 million in insured damage. While in April 2018, a storm in
southern Ontario resulted in over $80 million in insured damage. A storm that
hit the Greater Toronto Area, Leamington, Hamilton, Kitchener/Guelph/Waterloo,
London/Chatham-Kent, and Ottawa-Gatineau resulted in nearly $220 million
damage. In May 2018, A wind and rain storm hit Hamilton and the Greater Toronto
Area causing over $500 million damage. In August 2018: The rainstorm in Toronto
caused over $80 million damage.
As described above, flooding in
Toronto causes severe damages and destroyed homes, roads, basements, etc. after
flooding, water restoration is the main thing that is to be considered which
includes flooded basements cleanup, emergency plumbing services, and mold
removal, etc.
Torontoflooding.ca offers services for water damage
restoration to help in solving problems caused by floodwater. Basement flooding
is a problem we see frequently and fixing the problem that leads to the flood
is only part of the task, we also help take care of the flood cleanup tasks and
flood water.
After a flood occurred, water
restoration services will help to prevent additional problems that will be
produced by standing water or wet basement conditions. Water in the basement
causes mold so the first thing we must to remove is all water and moisture
during flooded basement cleanup. Not only is a rapid response to these problems
is significant, but solving them once and waterproofing for the basement is the
next logical step.
Wet basements can cause:
• Electrical
risks
• Damage
to furniture & belongings
• Mold
accumulation
• Taking
care of this as soon as possible is critical to diminish total damages after a
waterflood.
Torontoflooding.ca provides the best services in
flooded basement cleanup to minimize all kinds of risks created by it. While the emotional toll can be sometimes
unmeasurable, flood damage can also be a huge financial burden. The more you
wait to deal with a wet or flooded basement the harder it is to deal with it.
If you are facing flood damage, you
can trust Torontoflooding.ca’s professionals to take care of your water damage
restoration rapidly and efficiently. We are among the leading water damage
restoration companies in Toronto featuring 5-star service and affordable best
rates.
Water Mitigation Services
Fans sit on the floor in a wet
basement and help in the evaporation of floodwater. The quicker you act after a
flood the better you will be able to reduce water damage in your basement.
After a flood has occurred, our
technicians will set up a special pump that removes any residual water in the
basement. Furthermore, getting rid of water by sopping it up with mops or rags
is useful in some situations and a common first step that homeowners will do
during flood restoration. Once we have done our best to remove all water, the
next step is to make an environment for the remaining water to evaporate. This
is done by moving any furniture or belongings if required before carefully
installing advanced drying apparatus, for example, special fans and
dehumidifiers. These pieces of equipment serve to further remove all remaining
water within your basement, allowing us to dry your basement in a short amount
of time.
Mold Removal
It is important to dry the wet
basement as much as possible while basement mold is a serious problem after a
flood. Finding a solution for mold in the basement after a flood is a big deal.
Preventing the expansion of mold will remove the need for mold removal services
down the road. Usually, this is partly done by removing the lower sections of
drywall which were soaked by the floodwater. Our water restoration
professionals will carry out remediation services containing steps such as
removal of damp drywall sections to make sure that there is nowhere for the
water to hide.
Water Damage Cleanup
Finally, we leave a clean basement by
eliminating any garbage or wet materials and leave your space ready to be
reconstructed. Our experienced team will manage your flood cleanup with a
complete basement cleaning to make sure that your basement is not only dry but
clean as well.
After flooding, Flood damage
restoration can take some time and planning, it is critical to have
professional services on your side with better experience and knowledge. A
clean basement will be all that is left when the water remediation service is
done.
Emergency Plumbers
We are ready to offer our services
whenever you have a plumbing emergency in the City of Toronto. Just contact us
and our customer care team will have an emergency plumber to your home as soon
as possible to evaluate, repair, and provide additional clean-up support if
needed.
We deal with following common
plumbing emergencies:
• Blocked
& clogged drains (sink, toilet, bathtub, main drain, etc.)
• Floods
(bathrooms, basements, kitchen, etc.)
• Frozen
pipes
• Water
leaks
• Burst
pipes
• Overflowing
fixtures
• Problems
associated with severe weather events
It takes a specialized apparatus and
training in order to perform suitable commercial plumbing. Torontoflooding.ca
is equipped to handle the biggest and more complex tasks within the commercial
plumbing sector. We know all of the basic requirements and can work with you to
schedule annual inspections and maintenance and help you to keep your property
code-compliant. We can also manage the installation of water supply
distribution points in commercial buildings.
Additionally, there is quite a broad range of
recreational facilities throughout Toronto. We have experience in maintaining,
servicing, and installing plumbing systems for these facilities. Whether it be
a gymnasium, community park, center, or public swimming pool, we are ready to
manage all of its water supply and waste disposal requirements. These
facilities may service hundreds or thousands of inhabitants, and the plumbing
must be up to par to keep the atmosphere clean, safe and healthy.
Torontoflooding.ca is available 24/7 to provide all the water restoration
services for any city community or recreational manager.Enable GingerCannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection
or reload the browserDisable in this text fieldEditEdit in GingerEdit in Ginger
