La Ville de Châteauguay a déclenché son plan de mesures d’urgence jeudi à la suite des importantes chutes de pluie verglaçante de la veille qui ont privé d’électricité pas moins de 16 000 foyers. Le sous-sol d’au moins 200 maisons serait inondé et on craint pour 10 000 autres alors que la moitié des stations de pompage ne sont plus alimentées par le réseau électrique.
Jeudi, le réseau de Châteauguay ne suffisait plus à la tâche, alors que 20 des quelque 44 stations de pompage de la municipalité étaient alimentées non plus par le réseau électrique, mais par des génératrices.
La Ville avait reçu au moins 200 appels de résidants dont le sous-sol des maisons avait été inondé, et estimait alors qu’environ 10 000 pourraient également subir le même sort. « C’est très, très inquiétant », a dit le maire de la ville, Éric Allard.
La rivière est très haute depuis [mercredi]. It is currently under control and we are constantly monitoring it since it increases the level of risk, but what worries us right now is our sewer system.
Éric Allard, Mayor of Châteauguay
Rue Sainte-Foy, firefighters were busy pumping water from a few residences. During the night from Wednesday to Thursday, the Langlois-Azémar family had been busy trying to limit the damage while the water level rose in the basement of the family residence, located a stone’s throw from the river. Chateauguay.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Chateauguay was not spared Wednesday’s heavy freezing rain.
In complete darkness, the brothers Jamal and Khalid had spent a good part of the night emptying the contents of their rooms located in the basement to try to save as many objects as possible. The beds are “fucked”, they nevertheless observed.
Like their mother, they took things philosophically. “We can’t do anything, it’s like an adventure,” said Judith Langlois.
Urgent expenses
Thanks to its emergency measures plan, the City will be able to spend more money than usual to order new generators and additional portable pumps to relieve its sewer network and supply electricity emergency at its pumping stations.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Moment of respite for victims in a shelter in Châteauguay, Thursday
“It will be quite expensive, but we must be able to make these expenses quickly. That’s why we declared a state of emergency,” says Éric Allard. A refuge has been opened for the victims and for the passage of The PressThursday, about fifty residents had gone there, mainly to warm up and recharge their electronic devices.
Premier François Legault said Thursday that the government “will follow the situation closely” in Châteauguay, a meeting having already been held with Hydro-Québec teams on this subject. “At this point, we will have to adjust according to each city,” he said.