Heavy damage in the aftermath of the storm

The Press went to Laval and Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan to see the damage caused by the storm Debbywhich caused sewer backups, caused a river to burst its banks and damaged roads, during the night from Friday to Saturday.

(Laval and Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan) “Since we’ve been here, this is the first time we’ve seen this,” says Johanne Ouimet Pagé, who has lived in the Sainte-Rose neighbourhood for over 30 years. On Friday evening, brownish water completely flooded the basement of her house, causing significant damage.

In his residence, the damage is visible: an overturned refrigerator, brownish water that accumulates to cover carpets and furniture. Many objects present in the room will have to be thrown away.

At the passage of The PressClaude Pagé, Johanne Ouimet Pagé’s husband, had been trying to reach his insurer by phone for two hours, without success. “Your call is important to us, please wait,” we can hear while talking to the couple.

“Everyone was saying that the Mille Îles River was going to flood,” said Mr.^me Ouimet Pagé. However, it was through the sewers that the water arrived, to the surprise of the household.

Sylvain Hamel, another Laval resident whose basement was flooded, fears that this type of event will happen again in the future, due to climate change. “This is just the beginning,” he says, discouraged.

He estimates he suffered more than $20,000 in damages from the floods, including the loss of a stereo he had just had installed. He had no trouble reaching his insurer by phone, however.

“I’ve been working for 31 hours,” sighs Dominic Giguère, an employee of a claims management company, who we met on the street just across the street. He’s taking a break, leaning against his truck. “This is an exceptional situation. The extent of the damage in the province makes the event difficult to manage,” he emphasizes.

River overflow

In Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan, in Lanaudière, Francine Rivet couldn’t sleep a wink all night because of the storm. She lives right next to the Achigan River, which overflowed its banks.

“I didn’t sleep,” laments Francine Rivet. Although her house is located high up, that didn’t stop water from seeping into her basement. M^me Rivet was flooded by the river in flood and by a sewer backup. A strong smell of damp was present in her residence.

In his backyard, the current was flowing with impressive force. The rainfall had increased the flow of the river, causing it to overflow onto the nearby street. However, the water level had dropped by the time we passed. Paddleboards lay near a spot where the water was particularly deep.

“There are chairs that are gone,” she said, watching the water flow into her backyard. The current completely blocked a section of the road early Saturday afternoon. The end of the street had been inaccessible since Friday evening, M.^me Rivet.

“In the spring, it’s normal,” she observes. She explains that floods are rare during this season and occur more often after winter. “It’s unheard of,” she says. She has lived in Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan for 31 years.

Damaged roads

Roads in Lanaudière suffered significant damage due to the rain. In Rawdon, a hundred citizens were isolated due to damage to the city’s arteries. The road surface has collapsed in places in the municipality.

By late afternoon, several areas were still under high surveillance in the city. The city hall said it was setting up other passages in the surrounding forest for residents stranded by the floods.

In Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan, a section of Route 339 was blocked until mid-afternoon due to the rising river level. The watercourse directly overlapped a field and even the road that led directly to the village.