Toronto and the GTA were hit by a powerful storm on Wednesday, September 2, bringing torrential rain, large hail, damaging winds and widespread flooding across the region.

The storm moved through quickly but left a trail of damage. Trees and power lines were knocked down, streets flooded and tens of thousands of residents lost electricity. At the height of the storm, Hydro One reported more than 155,000 customers without power across southern Ontario, while roughly 65,000 were reportedly without power in Toronto.

Some areas received between 20 and more than 130 mm of rain in a short period, according to The Weather Network. Hail exceeding 5 cm was detected in parts of the GTA, while wind gusts reached around 100 km/h in some communities.

Flooding caused major transportation problems across Toronto. Sections of the Don Valley Parkway, Gardiner Expressway and Lake Shore Boulevard were affected, while TTC service was disrupted at St. Patrick and Union stations. The DVP reopened Thursday morning after an extended closure.

In Vaughan, dramatic flooding near Jane Street and Highway 7 left approximately 20 vehicles caught in the water, prompting rescue operations.

The storm also caused significant damage at Rogers Stadium in Downsview. Drone footage captured Thursday showed crumpled metal and debris around the 50,000-capacity outdoor venue. Live Nation said no injuries were reported and crews were assessing the extent of the damage.

Other disruptions included flight delays and cancellations at Toronto Pearson, the early closure of the CNE grounds and the cancellation or postponement of several concerts.

By Thursday morning, Toronto Hydro said power had been restored to approximately 90 per cent of affected customers, although around 6,000 homes and businesses in the city remained without electricity. More than 58,000 Hydro One customers across Ontario were also still offline.

For many across Toronto and the GTA, September certainly started with a bang — and the videos and photos emerging from Wednesday’s storm show just how intense it was.