Residents of low-lying areas of Quebec braced for more flooding today after heavy rains caused several rivers and streams to burst their banks turning quiet residential streets into silt-filled ponds and lakes.
About 100 Quebec municipalities are affected by flooding, including the Outaouais, Quebec City, Mauricie and the Montérégie regions, according to provincial authorities.
Parts of Montreal’s West Island and municipalities further west at the confluence of St. Lawrence and Ottawa River were hit particularly hard.
This might look like a tranquil marsh, but it’s actually René-Émard street in #Pierrefonds. #flood pic.twitter.com/1pr554ARAf
— Ainslie MacLellan (@CBCAinslie) 3 May 2017
The rising waters following Monday’s heavy rains submerged parts of western Montreal borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro and the tiny island of Île Mercier. The flooding also forced residents of about 30 homes in the community of Rigaud, about 40 kilometres west of Montreal, to abandon their homes.
Mayor Hans Gruenwald Jr. said about 400 homes could be affected by the surging water levels.
Gruenwald said river levels have risen by eight centimetres in the past two weeks and were expected to climb another five to seven centimetres on Wednesday.
That, he added, could see water starting to enter homes through basement windows.
Gruenwald said he is very concerned with the situation in his community.
“We are preoccupied with this high level, not just because of the level of the water,” he told The Canadian Press. “We are preoccupied because, at that level, if we start having strong wind, either east wind or west wind, it will cause an enormous amount of damage.”
The mayor urged more residents to leave their homes.
Central Quebec was also affected, with 250 homes threatened in Becancour, while officials in the western Quebec town of Gatineau said more than 80 residences had been evacuated as of Wednesday afternoon.
Environment Canada said heavy rain is expected to fall in several regions of the province on Friday and Saturday.
With files from CBC News and the Canadian Press
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.