"No plan. No checklist, no timetable, no map, no plan. That is the story of urban disasters in the United States..."  This could alos be said about Toronto and the GTA.  What if another hurricane Hazel swept through Toronto?  Does Saunders think Toronto's disaster plans would deal with 1317.752mm of rain along with the hurricane damage.
As for his rambling about Houston  being a city of prominent racial divides and poor enclaves again the same can be said about Toronto. 
His statement of Houston being a city of poor planning and a sea of asphalt describes Toronto and every other major city in North America.  
Reality is that any city, no matter how well developed, would be devastated if 1,317.752mm of rain fell in a few days.