Flash flooding hits Saskatoon’s east side during Sunday storm

Streets and intersections in Saskatoon temporarily became rivers after a storm caused flash flooding across city Sunday evening.

Parts of the east side appeared to be most affected with reports of flooding in several neighbourhoods, including  in Forest Grove where the water was deep enough for a garbage can to float on Spruce Drive, while others watched helplessly as water ran into their basements.

“Buckets and hoses from flooded basements after the downpour this evening,” Leah Bumphrey wrote to 650 CKOM from Rita Crescent in Sutherland.

Basements in Sutherland filled up with water following a heavy downpour in Saskatoon on July 20, 2025. Leah Bumphrey/Submitted.

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The city’s outdoor pools closed early due to the inclement weather.

A service alert from the city around 10 p.m. indicated that fallen trees were the cause of a power outage for Holliston and Haultain neighbourhoods. Tree limbs on power lines were also to blame for a second outage overnight in Forest Grove and Erindale.

Double whammy. After heavy rain flooded 8th and Cumberland Sunday evening, the power has gone out. #yxe pic.twitter.com/QMprkVgVPk

— Brent Bosker (@brentbosker) July 21, 2025

“Worst I’ve seen”

In the Forest Grove neighbourhood, people living at the intersection of Spruce Drive and Birch Crescent witnessed the road turn into a mini canal in the matter of hours on Sunday night.

“This is a notorious low spot on the street. Every time we get a heavy rain, it can sometimes flood a little bit – but yesterday was the worst I’ve seen in 15 years that we’ve been living here,” said Eric Sarauer.

“There was probably a good half hour where it came down super hard,” Sarauer added. “My eavestroughs couldn’t even keep up, so I was concerned about getting water in the basement, but thankfully there is none.”

The intersection of Spruce Drive and Birch Crescent got hammered with a bunch of rain last night, causing it to look more like a canal than a road.

📸Eric Sarauer and Kadin Mhacher.#yxe @CKOMNews @CJMENews pic.twitter.com/up6vfRiOg6

— Shane (@ShaneC06) July 21, 2025

Kadin Majcher lives across the street from Sarauer and also watched in awe as the water on the street kept creeping closer and closer to his home.

He said he’s never seen anything like it.

“It was about halfway up my lawn, knee deep on the street. There was a basketball hoop floating down the street, and there were a few garbage cans floating around. That was wild,” Majcher said.

Here’s some video of when the rain was falling in Saskatoon just after 7 p.m. last night. #yxe @CKOMNews @CJMENews

📸 Kadin Mhacher pic.twitter.com/9NaftJz6k1

— Shane (@ShaneC06) July 21, 2025

Watching the water rise became a night of family entertainment for Majcher.

“It just kept coming down, like we were sitting on the couch and just watching the weather,” he added.

Luckily for him and his family, there also was no damage to their home other than the lawn.

Sarauer said that because of the drainage issues in the past, the city actually installed new drains a couple of years ago.

“They have changed the storm sewers before at the four corners – they were all they’re all brand new. So whether or not it’s made any impact, I don’t know,” Sarauer chuckled. “I think there’s just so much and so little time, it just can’t drain away quick enough.”

650 CKOM has reached out to the City of Saskatoon for further comment on why the drainage systems still led to flooding despite being brand new.

According to Environment Canada, there was an estimated 25 millimetres or about an inch of rain that fell in Saskatoon over the weekend.

The neighbours we spoke with suggested that during yesterday’s flood, they got nearly five inches of rain in a two-hour span on Sunday night – those totals are not confirmed by the weather office.

Help from insurance

Saskatchewan insurance providers recently started to offer policies that protect homeowners from overland flooding.

The Government of Saskatchewan says on its website that overland flood insurance allows people to choose the amount of coverage and the deductible level that best meets their needs and all property owners should obtain adequate coverage for their property.

Flooding falls under the Provincial Disaster Assistance Program (PDAP) that covers the cost of uninsurable essential losses, cleanup, repairs and temporary relocation, but eligible claims under PDAP depend on the availability and affordability of insurance in the
Saskatchewan marketplace, SPSA says on its website.

The agency also said that overland flood insurance has not been “deemed reasonably available” in the province and until it is, people remain eligible for financial assistance, adding that homeowners should speak to their insurance broker or insurance company for details.

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Health also supplies an online flooding clean-up guide for home owners.

— with files from 650 CKOM’s Shane Clausing