Edmonton, Niagara, Toronto: Are We Ready for Epic Flooding? | The Walrus

Edmonton logged more than 580 millimeters of rain by the end of July, among its wettest summers on record, with one storm alone dumping 30 millimeters in under an hour and stranding a 30,000-person concert crowd. City officials estimate cleanup costs between $20 and $30 million, with $230 million in insured damages. Days later, Niagara-region communities saw up to 146 millimeters of rain, Quebec declared a state of emergency over flooding and landslides, and Toronto was hit by a 'hundred-year' storm on September 2.

Canadian cities have spent hundreds of millions on seawalls, drainage systems, and green infrastructure, and experts credit those investments with preventing loss of life. But with 80 percent of Canadian cities partly built on floodplains and aging infrastructure not designed for current rainfall, engineers caution that adaptation has limits.

Flooding is now Canada's most common and costly climate disaster, averaging nearly $800 million annually in insured damages, according to the Canadian Climate Institute.

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