flood July 15, 1987 File Photo - Aftermath the day after a flash flood in Montreal.
A fierce flash flood struck Montreal on July 14, 1987. As severe thunder storms and intense rainfall deluged the city, drainage systems were unable to accommodate the massive runoff. Major expressways were flooded with over 3 metres of water, requiring that people be rescued from their cars. The public transportation system was in chaos. Backed up sewers flooded houses and businesses, and thousands were without electricity.
Montreal had been experiencing a heat wave when on July 14, thunder storms dumped in excess of 100 millimetres (mm) of rain. A recording station at McGill University measured 86 mm of rain in a one-hour period. Rainfalls measuring 100 mm at Parc Lafontaine, 92 mm at the Botanical Gardens, and 99 mm at Dorval Airport were also recorded. Accompanying the thunderstorms were tremendous winds that uprooted large trees and toppled hydro lines.
