(Baie-Saint-Paul) Baie-Saint-Paul was hit by a “perfect cocktail” of heavy rain and snow cover in the mountains, but “the worst would be over,” said Public Security Minister François Bonnardel , even if other “water storms” are expected in the coming days.
What there is to know
- Baie-Saint-Paul is still cut in half while waiting for the reopening of the Leclerc bridge, downtown. You have to make a detour via the Saguenay to go to the North Shore.
- The Sûreté du Québec is looking for two missing firefighters in Saint-Urbain.
- Nearly 600 people are evacuated, while waiting for the roads to be repaired.
“The worst would be over. Now, some weather models tell us between 10 and 35 mm of water for 48 hours. I do not want to tell you that we are crossing our fingers, but all the teams are in place to secure the network, ”said Mr. Bonnardel at a press briefing at Baie-Saint-Paul city hall.
Mr. Bonnardel estimates that the approximately 600 people who are waiting to find their homes will have to wait another 48 to 72 hours. “It’s normal that these people want to go home, see their house if they have lost belongings or whatever, but we have to secure the network,” he said.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, THE PRESS
Francois Bonnardel
Unfortunately, we are still waiting for a few splashes of water. We expect between 10 to 30 mm of rain in the next 48 hours. We are going to let this water fall, and within 72 hours, teams of engineers on the ground will be in place to be able to secure the roads that intersect Saint-Urbain, which intersect Baie-Saint-Paul. You just have to give yourself some time.
François Bonnardel, Minister of Public Security
For his part, the mayor of Baie-Saint-Paul, Michaël Pilote, believes that despite the preparation for the weekend, the authorities were “caught a little off guard”.
We anticipated a few scenarios. We worked throughout the weekend depending on the weather. It is clear that Mother Nature was stronger than us.
Michaël Pilote, Mayor of Baie-Saint-Paul
They pointed out that the accommodation centers are still open and that citizens can come to warm up or sleep there if they need it. Compensation programs are also available.
“Perfect Cocktail”
The day before, the municipalities of Baie-Saint-Paul and Saint-Urbain were hit by a “perfect cocktail” which isolated the first city and split the second in two. The rivers in the area came out of their beds, several culverts gave way, and the very important Route 138, which connects Quebec to the North Shore, was “torn” by the force of the torrent.
“It fell between 20 and 70 mm of water, with a still significant snow cover in the wildlife reserve. A blow [d’eau] from 40 to 50 mm fell in the sector. You had a perfect cocktail for a flood some residents hadn’t seen in 50-60 years. This is an unfortunate finding,” explained Minister Bonnardel.
Quebec cities are asking for $2 billion a year for five years to prepare for climate change. For the moment, the Legault government has not acceded to this request.
“Climate change is hitting us”
“We have a clear and precise net observation. Climate change is hitting us, and we must react and invest the substantial sums to secure Quebec,” said the Minister. He pointed out that 70 million has just been made available to secure the banks, but it is an envelope intended for the whole province.
It is too early to quantify the material damage in Charlevoix, said the politician, who went to see the extent of the destruction in town after his press briefing. The Leclerc bridge, which connects the two banks of the Gouffre river to the city center, could reopen to traffic later in the day, but the situation will remain complicated “still for 48 to 72 hours”.