Toronto's third "100-year-storm" — since 2013

Plus, remembering a 15-year-old fatally struck in Brampton and why the Republican National Convention may feel like The Eras Tour for Donald Trump fans [The Star] First Up [By Andy Takagi] By Andy Takagi Good morning. Here’s the latest on the downpour and flooding in Toronto that left the city drenched and in the dark, and remembering a 15-year-old fatally struck in Brampton. DON’T MISS Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star RAIN [How a downpour walloped Toronto: “There was a storm on top of a storm”]( Torontonians across the city were pelted with torrential rain on Tuesday, while subsequent flooding left commuters stranded at stations and drivers needing rescue on the DVP. The unexpected downpour left thousands across the downtown area without power for hours, Omar Mosleh, Calvi Leon and I report. Businesses were shuttered, cars were trapped in traffic and pedestrians were soaked. [Here’s how Toronto dealt with a historic day for rainfall](. - How much rain? Toronto usually receives 74mm of rain throughout July. The city, on Tuesday, was showered with 98mm of rain — more than a month’s worth of rainfall in a day. - Dark and stormy: Over 127,000 people were without power in the afternoon, with outages slowly fixed through till midnight. [Toronto Hydro told the Star’s Mark Colley that suspected flooding at a transmission station led to the massive outage](. - Soaked through: [Across the city, Torontonians grappled with the weather in their special ways](. Some marveled, sending video of the pooling water to family back home. Others took shelter in Tim Hortons. None were dry. Richard Lautens/Toronto Star the Flood [Toronto was simply “not designed to handle” this much rain, city warns]( Toronto’s infrastructure was “not designed to handle this,” the city’s top civil servant told reporters on Tuesday as rain leaked through the ceiling at City Hall. The flooding from the rain shut down Union Station and a major highway, prompting emergency services to scramble to 1,700 calls across the city. Tuesday’s storm was just shy of the 2013 single-day rainfall record that caused $1 billion in damages. The flooding won’t be fixed with a bucket and some towels, [here’s what Toronto needs before the next storm hits](. - Mississauga, Brampton and Halton: It didn’t just rain in Toronto, extreme flooding in Mississauga overflowed its creeks and rivers, tipping water into parks and green spaces. [Emergency services across Peel and Halton Regions attended to reports of flooding in basements, amidst power outages](. - Early warning: As extreme storms happen more often and become more severe thanks to climate change, you might be checking the city’s flood map to see if you’re safe — but that won’t give you the full picture. [Check here for Toronto’s secret flood map](. - To the gills: A strike, a flood, a power outage. [Bars and businesses across Toronto struggled to cope with the perfect storm of stressors](. Amidst an LCBO strike that has left them lacking spirits, the rain and flooding couldn’t have come at a worse time. R.J. Johnston/Toronto Star CRIME [15-year-old fatally struck on sidewalk after crash “had so many plans”]( Maddy Rousell, 15, was supposed to learn to drive with her dad last Saturday but she was killed by an allegedly impaired driver in Brampton just after 8 p.m. on Friday, walking on her way home. Her father’s last words to her while dropping her off at a friend’s house a few hours earlier: “I love you. Be careful.” She responded, “OK. I love you, too.” [Here’s how Maddy’s friends, family and loved ones remember her](. - About Maddy: She was a curious teen who enjoyed math and despised gym, according to her mother. She loved fuzzy peach candy. Her sister, Brittnye, said she had a fearlessness that let her conquer even the most intimidating rides at Canada’s Wonderland. - Context: A 36-year-old Mississauga man is charged with refusing to comply with a demand for the roadside screening device and dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death. WHAT ELSE The Trump shooting has set off a flood of conspiracy theories. [But you might be surprised where some are coming from](. A moment of clarity [in a broken, flooded Toronto](. [Toronto saw a sharp drop in housing starts in June]( as high interest rates catch up to developers. [Inflation falls to 2.7 per cent in June]( increasing the odds of a Bank of Canada interest rate cut. [These new Canadian auto theft numbers]( may surprise you. University of Windsor criticized for [a deal that ended its pro-Palestinian encampment](. [Internal poll for Doug Ford finds strong support for the booze liberalization plan]( — and striking LCBO workers. [LCBO and OPSEU to resume bargaining talks]( on Wednesday morning. An increased Canada Child Benefit will go out this Friday. [Here’s how much more you could get](. The Raptors’ future might be here, [if they can develop it](. Live chat: [Join us to discuss the secret in Alice Munro’s house on July 24](. The last time I saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers, I was a teenage superfan. [Last night’s show at Bud Stage left me ice cold](. POV Pedro Ugarte/AFP via Getty Images [There’s a reason this Republican convention feels like The Eras Tour for Donald Trump fans.]( CLOSE-UP Richard Lautens/Toronto Star DON VALLEY PARKWAY: When do you abandon your car on a highway? Maybe when it starts to float. Drivers stuck in the middle of the road as water filled up to their waists needed were by emergency services on Tuesday. Toronto Fire responded to over a thousand calls yesterday, and were sent to nearly 500 incidents, from elevator rescues to water calls. [Here’s how the rescue on the DVP unfolded](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_216721). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [View in Browser]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](