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U of T Engineers have been very much in the public eye this week as Toronto recovers from the record-breaking rainstorm that hit the city on July 8. Here’s a summary of some of the coverage.

Jennifer Drake (CivE): Prof. Jennifer Drake, who conducts research into low impact development stormwater systems, watershed planning and stormwater management, told U of T News  that the City responded well to the storm. She advised residents to have a basic emergency kit ready. Homeowners need to install a backflow prevention device and sump pump.

Reza Iravani (ECE): Prof. Reza Iravani, head of the Centre for Applied Power Electronics, was interviewed by both the  Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star.  Prof. Iravani told the Globe that if the trend towards more extreme weather conditions continues, existing infrastructure will need to be modified. He told the Star that the current practice of building facilities underground needs to be changed.

Bryan Karney (CivE): Toronto handled the July 8 torrential rainstorm “remarkably well”, according to Professor Bryan Karney in the Globe and Mail. Professor Karney, who leads Civil Engineering’s engineering and energy systems division, said no storm or sewer system could have handled the amount of rainfall the city saw that day, which even outdid 1954’s Hurricane Hazel. “We managed it remarkably well, which meant that the major system by and large did its job,” Professor Karney told the Globe’s Jeff Gray. The full interview with Professor Bryan Karney can be found here.

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