Simcoe County could mark record rainfall with 75 to 100mm in one day
Residents in Simcoe County were caught off-guard by a severe thunderstorm Mother Nature brewed up Wednesday, with heavy rainfall, hail and lightning.
Environment Canada's senior climatologist David Phillips said the Barrie area would receive 50 to 75 millimetres of rain Wednesday, surpassing the total average for the entire month of April, which is around 55 millimetres.
The rainfall caused water pooling on many roads, putting City of Barrie crews to work to clear clogged drains and prevent flooding.
City of Barrie crews work to unclog drains amid heavy rainfall on Wed., April 5, 2023. (CTV News/Rob Cooper)
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
The Nottawasaga Conservation Authority also issued a flood outlook warning for the area, with a risk of rising river levels posing a public safety concern.
"There is really a concern of flash flooding [with] too much rain in a short period of time, but also in swollen rivers, and that certainly is something we're going to have to deal with here," Phillips added.
According to Environment Canada, the wet weather event was caused by a Colorado low. However, temperatures are expected to warm up dramatically starting Thursday.
Phillips reminds residents April is typically a tumultuous month.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

House Speaker Anthony Rota apologizes after inviting man who fought for Nazis to Parliament
Several Jewish advocacy organizations condemned members of Parliament on Sunday for giving a standing ovation to a man who fought for a Nazi unit during the Second World War.
BREAKING Writers Guild and Hollywood studios reach tentative deal to end strike. No deal yet for actors
Union leaders and Hollywood studios reached a tentative agreement Sunday to end a historic screenwriters strike after nearly five months, though no deal is yet in the works for striking actors.
Toronto woman hospitalized with botulism
A Toronto woman has been hospitalized in France with a severe case of botulism after eating improperly preserved sardines at a Bordeaux wine bar.
Taylor Swift turns out to see Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs play Chicago Bears
Travis Kelce put the ball in Taylor Swift's court, and she wound up bringing it to Arrowhead Stadium after all. Call it what you want. It's out of the woods now.
Man hospitalized in life-threatening condition after incident at Calgary pub holding eating contest
Calgary paramedics took a man to hospital in life-threatening condition on Saturday after an incident at the Ship and Anchor pub.
A year after Fiona, a traumatized Newfoundland town backs away from the sea
One year after a wave driven by post-tropical storm Fiona slammed into the back of her house and twisted it like a corkscrew, some residents of Port aux Basques, N.L., are backing away from the sea.
It’s here! Rare asteroid sample lands on Earth after OSIRIS-REx drops cargo
Seven years after OSIRIS-REx was sent into space to retrieve a sample of an asteroid, the NASA-led spacecraft has delivered its cargo into Earth’s orbit, and Canada is set to receive a piece.
Canadian autoworkers ratify deal with Ford Motor Company
Five days after reaching a tentative deal, Unifor members voted this weekend and have narrowly ratified a new three-year collective agreement with the Ford Motor Company.
Key to mending broken labour relations is fixing inflation, RBC economists say
High inflation is driving workers to take labour action and press for wage increases, according to a new report by Canada's largest bank that says more turbulence could be on the way for Canadian labour relations