Lights, Camera, Flooding

A memorable July 8, 2013, for parts of Toronto and its western suburbs.

Hard to believe

A week has passed

Since that monstrous storm.

As parts of Toronto

And its western suburbs

Looked like a movie set

For a made for cable

Disaster of the week film.

As 126 mm of rain

Fell in eight hours

Killing none.

As creeks became

Boiling streams

While placid streams

Became raging rivers

And the rivers

Davey Jones' Locker.

Fresh water variety

Of course.

Just surpassing

Hurricane Hazel's gift

Of 123 mm of rain

In 22 hours

Leaving 84 people dead

In the fall of '54.

Witnesses reported

Seeing rats fleeing

Both the two

And four legged variety

For higher ground.

Water spouts

Peppered the streets

Of downtown Toronto

As water pipes released

The built-up pressure

From the torrential downpour.

One expert guess

Over a million liters

Of sewage escaped

During the flood.

Coating the land

And Lake Ontario

With its toxic sludge.

Forcing the closure

Of Toronto's western beaches

For the foreseeable future

Until E. Coli drops

Back to safe levels.

Never mind

For three days

The transit system became

A living nightmare

For all.

As the subways tunnels

Became canals

Of brackish waters

In low lying areas.

While

The police's marine unit

Rescued stranded commuters

On a regional transit train

After the train stalled

In the floodwater.

Or the thousands

Of people left

In the dark

As the hydro failed.

Some

Left to struggle

For 3 three days

Before it's restoration

Without the ability

To refrigerate

Or cook food.

Pity

The poor people

Who live in

An apartment

Or condo building.

Needing an elevator

To reach

Their 22th floor unit.

As these memories

Become part of local lore

Told by people

Who were never endangered

By the storm of 2013.

While

The cities and landlords

Begin the long and expensive

Process of rebuilding

And repairing the damage.

Author's Note

I watched, safely, as the heavy rains pulleted my apartment window, on the second floor.