Canada Day storms flood hundreds of Ottawa homes, leave residents without power
West-end highrises flooded and knocked offline; orange-level heat warning persists as cleanup continues.
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Record rainfall from a Canada Day storm flooded homes across Ottawa and left hundreds without power, with west-end highrises among the hardest hit.
Two highrises in the west end lost power entirely, leaving residents in darkness without working elevators and vehicles flooded in underground garages. Basements across the city filled with water as the storm dumped unprecedented amounts of rain, forcing residents to manage cleanup during sweltering heat.
The same system that caused the flooding brought severe weather warnings, including a tornado alert near Osgoode. Wall clouds were reported over Kanata, with wind gusts powerful enough to ground drones. Graham Creek overflowed onto properties along Canfield Road, and Spillwater Creek flooded the Corkstown Pool.
An orange-level heat warning remained in effect Thursday as the city dealt with both water damage and continued high temperatures, offering little overnight relief to residents.
