Several regions of Quebec are under the influence of rain warnings Monday evening, some of which could receive up to 120 millimeters by the end of the day Tuesday. Already, around 500 people have had to evacuate to Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval, in the Capitale-Nationale region, due to the flooding of the Montmorency River.
This is particularly the case for several sectors of the Capitale-Nationale, Centre-du-Québec and Estrie regions, where between 80 and 120 mm of rain are expected.
“These unusually high quantities risk causing flash floods, flooding, landslides and water accumulation on the roads”, warns Environment Canada, on its website.
Between 50 to 70 mm of rain are also expected in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Beauce, eastern Montérégie and Haute-Côte-Nord.
On Twitter, Quebec Premier François Legault said he was monitoring the situation closely, given “large amounts of rain [qui] are expected in several regions over the next few hours.” “I ask all Quebecers to be careful,” he added.
In Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval, north of Quebec City, the flooding of the Montmorency River has already forced the evacuation of 220 residences where nearly 500 people live, in several sectors of the municipality.
Around 5:30 p.m., the flow of the Montmorency River reached 400 m3/second and the Center d’expertise hydrique du Québec (CEHQ) predicts that it will climb up to 905 m3/second, which would be a record according to the city’s website. In comparison, on December 25, 2020, the river’s flow had then reached a historic level of 800 m3/second, we specify.