This weekend's record rainfall is prompting the City of St. John's take a second look at its priorities for capital spending, particularly whether aging infrastructure contributed to flooding.

More than 70 millimetres of rain poured on the St. John's area during the weekend, with tonnes of snow also melting as temperatures rose.

"Water channelled a lot more than it normally would," said public works director Paul Mackey, who briefed city council during its Monday evening meeting.

"It got around people's houses, it got around foundations, it washed out the edges of the shoulders of roads."

City staff are reviewing why some parts of the city had significantly more damage than others. Countless basements flooded during the storm, while the city responded to numerous calls of washed-out infrastructure.

Mackey said much of the flooding occurred in older parts of the city where infrastructure dates back 80 or 90 years. The City of Mount Pearl had a fraction of the calls for service.

Mackey said large storms can reveal the most significant problems, and help dictate which problems should be addressed first.

"Obviously we are on a limited capital budget so we have to use that money strategically and use it where the most need is," Mackey said in an interview.

Mackey said problems could be related to capacity or deterioration, but that it is too early to say why some areas could not withstand the rain.