The impacts of the significant amounts of rain left by the passage of the storm Debby are still being felt in several regions of Quebec on Monday, but a return to normal is gradually taking place.
Around 5 a.m. Monday, Hydro-Québec reported that approximately 3,200 of its customers were still without power, the majority of them in Estrie and Mauricie.
At the height of the event, on Friday evening, 550,000 subscribers of the Crown corporation were plunged into darkness across the province.
On Sunday, Hydro-Québec said power should be restored to the vast majority of affected customers by the end of the day, but warned that some homes would have to wait until Monday due to accessibility issues.
Moreover, in some cases it is simply not possible to restore power at present due to flooding, it was reported.
On the road network, certain obstacles remain in place, according to Québec 511. This is the case, among others, of the Dorval tunnel, in the west of the island of Montreal, which remains inaccessible due to an accumulation of water.
For people who usually use Highway 13 in this area, the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility recommends considering another route, as well as favoring public transportation and teleworking, where possible.
The ministry explained on Sunday that the tunnel’s pumping station was damaged by backflow from the municipal sewer system that evacuates water from this section of Highway 13. The tunnel is therefore closed for an indefinite period.
All motorists are also invited to consult Quebec 511 before starting their journey.
Several Quebec municipalities received record amounts of rain in the space of 24 hours on Friday, exceeding 100 millimetres in many places, as the province was swept by the remnants of the hurricane. Debby.
According to Public Security Minister François Bonnardel, 55 municipalities were affected by flooding. More precisely, 260 residences were flooded.
In addition, 400 people were evacuated, and nearly 170 roads were affected by the damage. Finally, eight municipalities declared a state of local emergency.
Some disaster victims who meet the eligibility criteria will be entitled to financial assistance under the General Disaster Financial Assistance Program, the government announced.