Parts of northeastern Ont. got 100 millimetres of rain Tuesday: Environment Canada

Environment Canada estimates up to 100 millimetres of rain fell very quickly in parts of the region Tuesday afternoon.

"There (were) indications that some regions southeast of Chapleau towards Earlton and Temiskaming Shores could have received in excess of 100 millimetres from those thunderstorms yesterday afternoon," said Geoff Coulson, warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada.

Coulson said the thunderstorms and heavy rain was the result of a cold front causing instability in the atmosphere. The vast majority of precipitation hammered the region within two to three hours.

"We had a lot of instability in the atmosphere, a lot of moisture at the low levels, which are ingredients that we need for these thunderstorms to form," Coulson said.

"This was a well-organized line of thunderstorms in addition to the concerns of heavy rainfall from these storms."

In New Liskeard, Hidden Treasure Thrift Store's parking lot looked more like a lake. Owner Jennifer MacKewn said rain started falling around 4 p.m. Tuesday, so staff planned to close the store early.

MacKewn said the store is a in a low-lying area, so they have experienced floods before. But the rain started coming fast before 5 p.m.

In New Liskeard, Hidden Treasure Thrift Store's parking lot looked more like a lake. Owner Jennifer MacKewn said rain started falling around 4 p.m. Tuesday, so staff planned to close the store early. (Hidden Treasure Facebook)

In New Liskeard, Hidden Treasure Thrift Store's parking lot looked more like a lake. Owner Jennifer MacKewn said rain started falling around 4 p.m. Tuesday, so staff planned to close the store early. (Hidden Treasure Facebook)

"We didn't even have a chance to close or anything. We had the last customers leave out the door and that's when it came," she said.

"One of the ladies just started screaming in the back, 'Help, help, help!' And we all went running and it was just pouring in and there was nothing you can do."

Donations to Hidden Treasure support Northern Animal Rescue and Sanctuary, and it's predominantly run by volunteers. MacKewn said thousands of items will have to be thrown out.

"The area that got flooded is our storage area and our sorting area," she explained.

"So all the items pretty much that we're getting ready to be priced and put on the floor -- those are the items that got damaged."

While much has been cleaned up, MacKewn said the store might have to be closed Thursday, as well. Donations are currently not being accepted to give volunteers an opportunity to go through the damaged items.

In Temiskaming Shores, Davy's Your Independent Grocer was closed to flooding, along with the New Liskeard division of My Temiskaming Health Unit. A health unit spokesperson said work was done through the night and it expects to reopen sometime Thursday or Friday, but they are still answering phones.

Temiskaming Mayor Jeff Laferriere said the areas impacted by the severe weather included a small section off Highway 65.

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"For Hidden Treasure, the storm sewer failed there, causing the flooding," Laferriere said.

Meanwhile, Sudbury reported between 27 to 30 millimetres of rain. Sault Ste Marie saw 52 mm in the course of 12 hours.

At Sudbury's Health Sciences North, an infrastructure emergency was issued after thunderstorms led to a power outage.

"We had some water that got into the building and that ended up impacting some of our electrical systems and basically ended up putting us on backup power because of those issues," said HSN spokesperson Jason Turnbull.

Turnbull said hundreds of non-urgent outpatient and clinic procedures were cancelled. The hospital was back to regular operations by 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.