TORONTO, ONTARIO — On Tuesday, a series of intense storms wreaked havoc across parts of Canada and New York state, bringing with them heavy rainfall and widespread disruption. Amidst this tumultuous weather, rapper Drake shared a video on Instagram depicting severe flooding within his Toronto residence. The footage, posted to his Instagram story, revealed brown, murky water inundating a vanity room and closet in his lavish home. Drake, navigating through the ankle-deep floodwaters, humorously captioned the video: “This better be Espresso Martini.”

The deluge in Toronto was part of a larger pattern of severe weather impacting major regions across North America. The city, home to approximately 3 million residents, experienced nearly 4 inches of rain in various areas, resulting in significant flooding, power outages, and disruptions to infrastructure. The unprecedented rainfall led to 167,000 power outages at the storm’s peak and prompted over 700 calls related to basement flooding, according to a city news release.

Toronto Pearson International Airport recorded 3.8 inches of rain on Tuesday, marking it as the fifth-wettest day ever documented at the facility and setting a new daily rainfall record. In response to the severe weather, Toronto's first responders were inundated with calls for assistance. Between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Tuesday, they managed approximately 1,700 calls and addressed around 500 incidents. These emergencies included rescues from elevators, vehicles, and buildings, as well as water-related emergencies, as reported by Toronto Fire Services on X.

Environment & Climate Change Canada, the federal agency responsible for environmental monitoring, stated that while no significant rainfall was anticipated immediately, flooding persisted in low-lying areas such as waterfront parks and Toronto Island. By Wednesday morning, approximately 3,200 customers remained without power, and recovery crews were diligently working to restore electricity and reopen affected roads.

The severe weather also extended its impact to New York state, where at least four tornadoes touched down overnight. The storms resulted in one fatality and left hundreds of thousands without power. Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency across the state, with particular emphasis on central New York, the Mohawk Valley, and the Southern Tier. Forecasts indicated that additional storms and heavy rain were expected in the coming days.

Drake’s residence, known as “The Embassy,” was designed by renowned Canadian architect and interior designer Ferris Rafauli. This expansive 50,000-square-foot mansion boasts an array of luxurious features, including an NBA-sized indoor basketball court, a recording studio, an awards room, an indoor swimming pool, and opulent art deco interiors. Notably, the mansion is adorned with a chandelier consisting of more than 20,000 pieces of Swarovski crystal. In an April 2020 interview with Architectural Digest, Drake elaborated on his vision for the property: “Because I was building it in my hometown, I wanted the structure to stand firm for 100 years. I wanted it to have a monumental scale and feel. It will be one of the things I leave behind, so it had to be timeless and strong.”

The flooding at Drake’s mansion serves as a poignant example of the extensive impact of severe weather events, highlighting the far-reaching consequences and disruptive force of such natural disasters on urban centers and private residences alike.