July 16, 2024 was a rare but not unexpectedly rainy day. July often sees huge dumps of rain and Toronto received around 10cm in quite a short time. The Humber has a tell-tale depth gauge in the form of the old footbridge abutment which yesterday completely disappeared.
By way of comparison, here’s how it looked in April 2022.
As the city grows and more land is paved over, the ability of the river to hold huge volumes of runoff will be tested. Without green spaces and parkland to absorb runoff, the Humber would be much more of a threat during heavy rain or spring thaws.
Friends of Raymore Park 
The Humber has the steepest drop of any River in North America (393 Metres); greater than the St. Lawrence in its full length. This makes the force of its collective runoff more concentrated than other rivers. It also makes it more rapid. Water is one of the greatest forces of nature and neither can nor should be controlled by engineering. The River’s place on Mother Earth must be treated with respect by us. We must live with its rapid rise and fall, particularly with a changing climate and do all within our power to protect all of it, including upstream. Its base flow must be maintained, with Natural protective measures.
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