Clarington road remains closed due to flooding
Published July 17, 2024 at 12:34 pm
After yesterday’s torrential rain and record-setting flooding, many roads, parks and trails in the GTA remain closed, including a road in the Durham municipality of Clarington.
Today, Clarington announced that Prestonvale Road remains closed due to damage caused by the heavy rains that rocked parts of southern Ontario yesterday morning.
“A hard road closure is located approximately 60 metres north of 1285 Prestonvale Road,” the municipality said on its website, adding that soft road closures are located at Prestonvale Road and Jack Potts Way, Baseline Road and Cigas Road.
This road closure will be in effect until further notice, according to municipality officials.
On its website, Clarington says hard road closures indicate the entire road is blocked, meaning motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, and emergency vehicles cannot use it. Soft road closures allow local traffic to access homes, businesses, or properties up until the point of a hard road closure.
The announcement comes as towns and cities across the affected area deal with the widespread flooding and power outages caused by the storm.
Heavy rain moved into southern Ontario early Tuesday morning, and by the time it passed, Pearson Airport in Mississauga had recorded 97.41 mm of rain in a three-and-a-half-hour period.
The heavy rain and resulting flooding on roads caught motorists and residents by surprise as countless dangerous situations unfolded. Numerous sections of highways and main roads in the GTA were rapidly overtaken by the water, leaving hundreds of drivers stranded in their vehicles before either being rescued by first responders or making their way to safety by themselves and leaving their cars behind.
Multiple facilities in Toronto were forced to close temporarily due to flooding and power outages, including Sherway Gardens, Ripley’s Aquarium and Evergreen Brick Works.
Heavy rains and flooding also led to an overflow of a wastewater facility in Mississauga, prompting officials to advise residents to avoid swimming or wading in the water for the time being.