Memories of the Aug. 19 torrential downpour may have begun to fade for many Torontonians, but the devastation it caused is still very real to the victims whose houses and businesses were flooded.

Since the storm, disaster-restoration companies, insurance adjusters and city water infrastructure personnel have been working non-stop to fix the damage and put residents' lives back in order.

"To put things in perspective, the local industry, ourselves included, got six months worth of work in two weeks," says Saul Berlin, president of RestorXToronto, a contractor that specializes in disaster recovery. "Contractors and insurance adjusters were brought in from around the country to try to deal with it, but resources are still limited. You can't possibly handle thousands of homes in two weeks. That's just not going to happen."

According to Environment Canada, the storm dumped approximately 100 millimetres of water, one month of average rainfall, in little more than an hour. The resulting flash flooding swamped city streets, caused sewer systems to back up into basements and washed out bridges.

Michael D'Andrea

"It was an extreme condition," says Michael D'Andrea, director of water infrastructure management for the City of Toronto. "We haven't had that level of intensity since the days of hurricane Hazel.”

(Hurricane Hazel struck Toronto in 1954 and claimed 81 lives.)

The City of Toronto estimates the cost of repairing roads, bridges, parks and other infrastructure could exceed $34 million, including $5 million for the Finch Avenue West cave-in and $9 million for damaged city parks.

While repairing storm damage will be costly for the city, insurance companies may be the hardest hit financially. The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) says the number of claims stemming from the Aug. 19 storm will exceed 15,000, with payouts topping $400 million. That will make it the most expensive in Ontario history.

Of claims made, the vast majority, says Mark Yakabuski, vice-president of federal affairs and Ontario for IBC, has been for sewer backup, a condition caused when heavy rainfall exceeds the capacity of the city's sewer systems. The excess then flows back up through floor drains, filling residential basements with a combination of rainwater and raw sewage.

"Based on the claims we've seen, the large majority of people had adequate coverage," Yakabuski says. "Having said that, I strongly recommend that people ask their insurance representative if they are specifically covered for sewer backup."

Yakabuski says that while some insurance companies have begun packaging sewer backup coverage with certain home-owner policies, that is not the standard among all insurers.

He also says that home-insurance policies alone only cover flood damage that occurs as the result of wind, hail, a fallen tree or another condition stated in the policy. Overland flooding, from overflowing rivers or seepage through cracks in a basement wall, is not covered.

"The only places in the world where flood insurance is offered to households is where the government decides to fund a flood-insurance program," Yakabuski says.

The best insurance is to prevent basement flooding in the first place, D'Andrea says. For its part, the City of Toronto is implementing its Pollution Solution or Wet Weather Flow Management Master Plan.

Stephan Roy

D'Andrea says the $1-billion, 25-year plan's primary intent will be to improve the quality of stormwater as it flows from storm drains to local rivers and into Lake Ontario. The changes to the city's wastewater infrastructure will also address flooding problems.

"For example, in many areas of the city, homes are connected to the sewer system by way of the roof downspouts," he says. "If you look at the large lots in suburban areas, there is no reason why downspouts can't be severed and that rainwater directed into the grass or a rain barrel. That alone can remove an incredible amount of water from the system."

D'Andrea says people can choose to do the work themselves, although the city has a program under the management master plan to help Toronto Water customers disconnect their downspouts free of charge.

Another simple do-it-yourself project for homeowners is to maintain proper landscape grading around the perimeter of their homes. If the ground adjacent to the foundation slopes toward the house, rainwater can saturate the exterior foundation wall and either leak through cracks in the concrete or inundate foundation drains (weeping tile system) that may also be connected to the sanitary sewer system.

For those homeowners who've experienced previous sewer backups or know they are at risk, the installation of a sewer backflow valve may be an option, D'Andrea says.

"Under normal conditions, backflow valves allow sewage to flow to the city's sewer system, but back pressure from the sewer system will shut the valve and prevent sewage from flooding into residences during situations like Aug. 19," he says. "The important thing to remember is that, during heavy rains, the valve will disconnect the property from the sewer system so flushing toilets or doing laundry could also cause a problem."

But even with the best countermeasures, flooding still occurs, says Stephan Roy, business development manager for the disaster-recovery division of ServiceMaster of Canada. That's when it's time to call in the professionals.

"The problem with people trying to do this kind of thing on their own is that affected areas may feel dry on the surface, but it may still be wet in wall cavities and underneath flooring," he says. "Moisture always travels from wet to dry, so during some parts of the year when outside humidity levels are high, opening doors and windows may hinder the drying process.

"Daily monitoring of moisture levels, temperature control, air movement control and all those things (is) critical to establishing an environment that is going to be effective," he says.

RestorXToronto's Berlin agrees. Many times, he says, people who handle a problem themselves do not understand how quickly a simple cleanup can turn into a serious problem.

"No flood has to be catastrophic," he says. "The most important thing is speed of response. A freshwater or Category 1 flood will degrade to a greywater or Category 2 in as little as 72 hours. The difference is that a Category 1 can be dried in place and you can save everything. If it becomes a greywater or black-water spill, then carpet underpads have to be removed and contaminated drywall needs to be replaced.

"I think the concern with a lot of people is that they don't want to call their insurance company and be on the book as having a claim," Berlin says. "So the most important thing is to act quickly and get someone who is a professional who knows what they are looking for and what they need to do."

(Mike McLeod can be reached at mcleod@businessedge.ca)