Toronto’s exceptionally high lake levels and accompanying flooding of beachfront and island areas may be both driven by climate change and the new normal for the city.
The National Post is quoting University of Saskatchewan professor of geography John Pomeroy saying that high temperatures and changes in the jet stream are causing the very unusually high rainfall: 142.6 mm of rain in May, compared to a normal 72 mm.
Pomeroy even goes on to suggest that the city should encourage people to permenantly relocate from the flood-prone areas, since they can only expect more such trouble in the future.
The ups and downs of life on the islands after a rain-soaked spring
All permits and programming are suspended until July 31, the city says
Flooding in Toronto has reached condos on Lake Ontario
“We’re pumping close to 1,800 to 2,000 gallons of water per minute, every day,” said Ivan Caballero, the condo’s maintenance manager. In his 11 years working at the condo, he has never seen the parking garage of the 40-year-old building flooded as it is right now. It’s one of 15 buildings that the city’s Toronto Water division says have been affected by rising water levels in Lake Ontario.
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“It’s been quite a challenge and we are just praying it goes down,” Mr. Caballero said, adding that the main goal has been to keep the water away from an electrical-supply unit in the area.
“That has been our priority to keep the water levels down because that is a [potential] explosion that could shut down different buildings down here.”
Exceptionally high lake level in 2017