Widespread power outages remain after damaging storms slam southern Ontario

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“City crews have been clearing debris and sediment and sweeping roadways since flood waters began receding overnight,” the city said on its website.

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“Closures will remain in place until cleanup operations are complete and the roadways are determined to be safe for reopening.”

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said the Don Valley Parkway and the Canadian National Exhibition were open Thursday morning, and transit was running as scheduled, as were city-run summer camps.

Crews will be working hard to ensure parks, outdoor pools and public beaches are safe and ready for the Labour Day long weekend, the mayor said in a news conference.

“To everyone who sheltered in place, checked in on a neighbour, or stayed off flooded roads last night: thank you,” she said. “That’s what got us through this safely together.”

The intense weather brought torrential rain, large hail and the risk of a tornado to wide swaths of southern Ontario as skies darkened over downtown Toronto and hail pummelled neighbourhoods further north.

Video on social media showed large hail falling and downpours flooding vehicles and bus stations, sending people running for cover.

David Sills, director of the Northern Tornadoes Project at Western University, said there was “no credible evidence” at this stage that a tornado occurred as part of Wednesday’s storms, but the organization continues to receive reports and analyze them.

A survey team was heading Thursday for the community of Brodhagen, in the municipality of West Perth, where the worst damage appeared to have occurred, Sills said.

“The team will have a lot of area to cover in the next couple of days,” he said in an email.

The storm also caused flight delays and cancellations at Toronto’s Pearson airport, and left some serious damage to Rogers Stadium, a 50,000-capacity music venue in the city’s north end.

The airport said operations were “returning to normal” Thursday morning but encouraged travellers to check with their airline as some flight schedules were affected by the storm. Pearson received about 40 millimetres of rain during the storm, it said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2026.

The Canadian Press