Live status for Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area.
FirstLine Restoration is actively responding to the September 2, 2026 severe thunderstorm and flash flooding across Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. The 24/7 emergency line is open, crews are being dispatched, and new water, flood, sewage backup, and storm damage jobs are being accepted.
Five things that protect the people in the building and protect the claim. None of them require a contractor.
Stay out of standing water anywhere near electrical panels, outlets, or submerged appliances. If a ceiling is sagging or holding water, stay out of that room. If you smell gas or see downed wires, call 911 and the utility first.
Shut the main valve if a supply line let go. If the water is coming from outside or up through a drain, there is no valve to close, so move to documenting instead of fighting it.
Wide shots of each room, then close ups of damaged contents and the water line on the wall. Take video too. This is the single most useful thing you can do for your claim, and it takes three minutes.
Get contents up off wet floors, pull area rugs off hardwood, and lift furniture skirts onto blocks or foil. Do not run a household vacuum on water, and never on sewage.
Call your insurer or broker to start the claim and write down the claim number. You choose the restoration contractor, not the insurer. Call our 24/7 line and we will start documenting immediately.
Water extraction, structural drying, and moisture monitoring after flash flooding, window well overflow, and failed or overwhelmed sump pumps.
Contaminated water removal, sanitizing, and disposal of unsalvageable material. Storm surcharge into a floor drain is a category 3 loss and is not a mop and bucket job.
Emergency tarping, interior containment, and drying of ceilings, insulation, and wall cavities after lifted shingles and blown flashing.
Board up, temporary weatherproofing, and documented assessment of roofing, siding, windows, and skylights struck by hail or falling limbs.
Securing the opening, stabilizing what was hit, and coordinating the repair and rebuild once the structure is safe.
Losses that follow the outage rather than the storm, including sump pump failure, refrigeration loss, and heating or cooling shutdown in a managed building.
Larger water losses across retail, office, industrial, and multi-residential buildings, including common areas, elevator pits, and underground parking.
Photos, moisture readings, scope of work, and carrier communication from the first visit, so the claim moves at the same speed as the work.
Calling is fastest for an active emergency. If the damage is stable, send the details and we will follow up right away with a time.
Yes. The 24/7 line is open and answered by a person, and we are booking and dispatching emergency work across Toronto and the GTA right now. Call (416) 900-3508.
Same as any other night. We have crews ready to go at all times, so a storm does not change the answer. Response target is 45 minutes, 24/7/365, and we go out to every job. When you call, a person answers and gives you a straight answer about timing rather than a guess.
We are working Toronto, North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, York Region, Peel Region, Halton Region and Durham Region, plus the surrounding Southern Ontario communities we normally serve.
Coverage depends on your policy and on how the water entered the building. Sewer backup and overland water are usually separate endorsements in Ontario. We document the cause and the damage properly so the adjuster can make that call on evidence, and we work with all carriers.
On approved work we bill your insurer directly where the carrier allows it, so you are not fronting the cost of the approved scope. Your deductible stays yours and is paid by you as your policy sets out.
Someone with authority to approve access needs to let the crew in and walk the damage, but that can be a tenant, a property manager, a superintendent, or a family member. For managed buildings we coordinate directly with the property manager.
No. Storm surcharge through a drain carries sewage, and it needs containment, removal of porous material it touched, and proper sanitizing. Drying it in place leaves contamination in the building.
Yes, and it is free to ask. Hidden water inside a wall cavity or under a floating floor is what turns a small loss into a mold claim six weeks later. A quick moisture check now costs you nothing and settles the question.
Press Esc to close
Nick
Emergency Response Coordinator