Crews were busy cleaning up roads in Burlington Tuesday morning after heavy rains caused flash flooding that drenched basements and washed out roads.
Environment Canada said a band of thunderstorms dumped between 100 and 150 millimetres of rain on the area Monday night. The agency said amateur observers measured as much as 190 millimetres of rainfall in highly localized areas.
Sections of Highway 407 and the QEW reopened Monday after the highways were cleared of flooding that blocked ramps and lanes Monday night.
However sections of Guelph Line remain closed north of Dundas Street as heavy construction equipment was brought in to clear sand and gravel that covered the road during the flooding.
Images form the scene Monday morning also showed road drains filled up with gravel.
“I believe it is the worst flooding that we have seen in Burlington in 20 years, but I really have to put it into context; when you have two months’ worth of rain within three hours there are going to be negative effects,” Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring told reporters Tuesday morning. “My own basement was flooded very, very severely and my neighbourhood looks like a war zone. I’ve lived in my home for 20 years and this is the first time we had water in the basement.”
Goldring said that city officials are concerned about possible water contamination in the wake of the flooding as well as the impact on vulnerable residents, such as the elderly.
Though there is no official tally on the number of homes with flood damage, Goldring said that 230 calls were made to 311 about basement flooding and the actual number is likely more than 500.
Burlington Council is holding a special meeting today to discuss cleanup efforts.
