Environment Canada has issued torrential rain alerts in several regions of Quebec and preventive evacuation notices have taken place in the Estrie and Quebec City regions.
The significant amounts of rain that have fallen in Estrie since Monday have caused the level of the Saint-François River to rise sharply, which notably crosses downtown Sherbrooke.
On Tuesday, municipal authorities in Sherbrooke reported that the river level reached 19.5 feet. Consequently, the watercourse is under the high surveillance of the Municipal Civil Security Organization (OMSC).
Authorities report that the Île-Marie campsite in Sherbrooke, located on the banks of the Saint-François River, as well as the municipal garage have been evacuated. Traffic lanes were closed to traffic, in particular the ramp from boulevard des Grandes-Fourches Sud towards rue Galt.
The City of Sherbrooke said Tuesday morning that it was carrying out the first preventive evacuations in certain streets near the river.
At dawn on Tuesday, Environment Canada issued a rain warning for the Sherbrooke area. The federal agency then forecast an additional 15 to 25 millimeters of rain by noon on Tuesday.
Environment Canada added that such precipitation combined with that already received was unusually high and could cause flash floods, flooding, landslides and water accumulation on roads.
The Saint-François River has its origins in Grand Lac Saint-François and crosses many municipalities, including Windsor, Richmond and Drummondville before flowing into the Saint-Lawrence River.
Warnings in effect in several regions
The heavy rains that have fallen since Monday in certain regions of Quebec, combined with those of Tuesday which are expected to be abundant, have prompted municipal authorities to act.
On Monday, 220 homes were evacuated in Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval, near Quebec, because of the flooding of the Montmorency River. It fell 70 millimeters of water in a few hours.
The Laurentides wildlife reserve, sectors of the Parc des Grands-Jardins du Mont Apica are subject to warnings.
In these places, torrential rains could cause flash flooding and water accumulation on the roads. There could be landslides in areas at risk, such as steep slopes, according to Environment Canada.
An additional 15 to 25 millimeters of rain are forecast by the end of the day. The accumulation of water could cause flash floods, flooding, landslides and water accumulation on the roads.
In several areas, total amounts of rain between 50 and 70 millimeters are expected by Tuesday evening. Flooding is possible in places in the lowlands and torrential rains can cause flash floods and water accumulation on the roads.
In the Mauricie region, the alerts that Environment Canada had published on Monday have been lifted, with the exception of the La Tuque sector, where 15 to 25 millimeters of additional rain could fall in the coming hours. These rains are likely to cause flash floods, flooding, landslides and water accumulation on the roads.
Total rainfall amounts of about 50 millimeters are forecast by Tuesday evening. Torrential rains can cause flash floods and water accumulation on the roads in the areas of Les Escoumins, Forestville, the Manicouagan River, Chutes-des-Passes and the Pipmuacan Reservoir.