Is flooding in Toronto a concern?

Abstract

Toronto is the largest city in Canada with a population of about 5.5 million in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Being located at the shores of Lake Ontario of the Great Lakes, which is the largest surface freshwater system in the world, and affected by air masses originating from the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Arctic, the city is vulnerable to extreme weather phenomena in socioeconomic and geographical terms. This short paper gives a brief overview of the history of main flooding occurrences in Toronto with an emphasis on the recent flooding of July 2013. An analysis of causes and physical dynamics of the event is presented using the structure of the watersheds and weather systems in the region. Based on the flood risk vulnerability assessment carried out on the 2013 flooding, several weaknesses in critical infrastructure and critical facilities have been highlighted. Future considerations and recommendations include revisiting of the flood damage mitigation strategies (e.g., use of new and adaptive infrastructure designs, social media, crowd-sourcing information), flood zoning update, tax incentives, insurance options, and retrofitting solutions for those living in flood-prone areas.