Looking back at mega storm 2013

It’s been a year since a storm dumped record amounts of rainfall onto the GTHA causing massive flooding and millions of dollars in damage. More than 126 mm came down on the city of Toronto in just 90 minutes, halting TTC service, creating blackouts and causing sewage to back up into homes. We talked to one Etobicoke man who was affected to see how things are these days.

A river runs through it. That’s how an overflowing Mimico Creek infiltrating Etobicoke homes last year could be described.

Carol Gionet lived through it:  “We sat down for dinner and it sounded like a flood was going through the basement.”

Ronnie Gionet says even one year later his wife still gets worried when it rains a lot: “We actually put in a back water valve and a sump pump, I don’t know how that would do with another flood like that.”

His basement was destroyed when it filled to the ceiling with sewage. Insurance gave him $50 thousand, but $14 thousand was skimmed off the top to cover the clean up.

Ronnie: “I had to buy new fridge, furnace, hot water heater, and completely redo the downstairs which was a lot more than the insurance company gave me.

Ibrahim Bozai rented a basement apartment at Allen and Sheppard when the flood destroyed his possessions: “Insurance hasn’t been helpful. Making a claim through the city hasn’t worked. I’m stuck.”

His apartment flooded again last month. That was it — he now has no fixed address: “Its just destroyed. Mold, there’s giant industrial dehumidifiers running, you can’t even hear yourself think. It’s not liveable.”

The storm cost insurance companies $940 million by way of damage payout. It also cost the GTA $65 million in damages. As tough as it was, city officials say they’ve learned valuable lessons.

Lou Di Gironimo, General Manager of Toronto water: “What we try to do is build capacity to be resilient, to bounce back quickly from these storm events.”

The city will pay 80% of the cost for home owners who install backwater valves and sump pumps to a maximum amount. The city is still dealing with clean up in many eroded areas and has allocated 100 million dollars towards improving infrastructure. They urge residents to check their homes and be proactive.

Lou Di Gironimo: “Protect your basement as best you can for now, while we look at the longer terms solutions. You can’t fix this infrastructure overnight.