A woman has been killed in Toronto's east end after being struck by flying debris, police have confirmed, amid wild weather lashing the city that is expected to intesify in the coming hours.
The woman was struck by the metal part of a sign near Keele and St. Clair around 7:20 p.m. when the sign broke loose in the wind, police said. The victim, who was pronounced dead at the scene, has not yet been identified.
Earlier Monday, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford warned residents to take extra precautions ahead of a hybrid storm system that includes remnants of Hurricane Sandy and continues to barrel towards Ontario.
The mayor urged residents to ntake "simple steps" to prepare for potential flooding, poor driving conditions and power outages.
"Folks, this evening will be different," Ford told reporters at Monday afternoon news conference at city hall.
"We are expecting very strong winds — in some situations up to 90 km/hr — and some heavy, heavy rainfall."
Ford advised residents to remove loose items from their homes such as Halloween decorations, lawn furniture and waste bins, and to store the materials in a safe place to reduce the risk of gusts blowing loose items into the streets.
"You can help by making sure any storm sewer grates and catch basins near your home are clear of leaves…to prevent flooding," he added.
But the "biggest fear" is the loss of power, Ford said, reminding motorists to proceed through faulty traffic lights with caution and to treat such intersections as four-way stops. "We do not encourage people to drive during the storm, only if you have to," he said.
'We need to be prepared for the worst'
Ontario Community Safety Minister Madeleine Meilleur, meanwhile, also provided an update Monday afternoon on the province's emergency preparedness measures.
"Let me first say that we share the pain that our neighbours to the south are experiencing," she said.
"We don't expect the same level of impact here, but this is a serious storm and we need to be prepared for the worst."
She said it's important that every family be prepared for any possible crisis for a three-day period and also have a survival kit.
"We don't want to scare people; we just need to let them know that we have to be ready," she said.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/flying-debris-kills-woman-amid-toronto-storm.html