A week after the storm passed Debbyaround twenty roads still need to be repaired. The Legault government believes that the rain expected over the next few days should not make the situation worse.
What you need to know
- The rains this weekend are not expected to cause further damage, particularly in areas affected by the passage of Debbysaid the Premier of Quebec.
- About 20 roads still need major repairs and there have been 187 landslides.
- In northern Lanaudière, people with cottages are asked not to go there, as this region could experience up to 50 mm of rain this weekend.
- The Ministry of Public Security will be “flexible” and will analyze files “on a case-by-case basis” to expand the government compensation program to people affected by the floods caused by Debby.
During a press scrum held early Friday afternoon, Premier François Legault was reassuring about the rains expected this weekend, particularly for regions that were hit hard by flooding caused by Debby.
“Generally speaking, [ces pluies] should not cause additional damage at the end of the week,” he said.
The forecast is for 15 to 25 mm of precipitation, but it could go up to 50 mm in places in northern Lanaudière. For this reason, Caroline Proulx, minister responsible for the Lanaudière region, recommended that people with a cottage in this region not go there on Friday or this weekend.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Caroline Proulx, minister responsible for the Lanaudière region
“These are often forest roads that lead to vacationers’ residences, and there have been a lot of landslides in northern Lanaudière,” she explained.
In total, there were 187 landslides caused by the storm on Friday. Debby.
Northern Lanaudière has nearly 600 private and municipal dams. They were gradually opened to ensure that water could flow, in order to prevent possible consequences of these heavy rains, the minister stressed.
Roads still damaged
Regarding the damage caused by Debbythere are still about twenty roads with major damage to repair, 15 of them located in Lanaudière and the Laurentians. At the beginning of the week, there was talk of 180 roads to repair, estimated François Bonnardel, Minister of Public Security.
“It’s difficult to give a timeline for each of them, but we know that it’s complicated for some residents,” he stressed.
Balance sheet of Debbyseven days after the storm passed
- 20 municipalities are still affected
- 31 residences are still affected
- 52 people are still isolated
- 36 people are still evacuated
- 20 roads are still damaged
Source: François Bonnardel, Minister of Public Security, Friday, during the press briefing
Asked about his notable absence last weekend when the storm Debby was wreaking havoc, the Prime Minister said he had been following the situation “hour by hour.”
“There were hundreds of places where there were problems,” he said, sounding a little annoyed by the question. “I think it was more efficient to coordinate hundreds of problems than to go and take pictures in one or two places.”
“When there is a place that has problems, I have always been there and I will always be there,” he added.
Read the article “The silence of the elected”
Financial compensation
Regarding citizens who were affected by floods after the passage of Debbyand in particular for residents whose homes were flooded by sewer backups, the Prime Minister reiterated what he announced Thursday during his visit to Louiseville: the Ministry of Public Security will be “more flexible” in expanding the government compensation program.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Meeting between the Premier of Quebec, François Legault, the Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, and the Minister responsible for the Lanaudière region, Caroline Proulx
He recommended that citizens contact their private insurance companies to claim “the maximum,” he added. Then, the government will study the possibility of absorbing the remaining costs of the damage caused by the storm.
“We will analyze each situation on a case-by-case basis,” promised François Bonnardel. “We will take into account specific cases.”
So far, 1,834 people have already called the government or opened an online file to make a claim. One company and 178 municipalities have done the same. In comparison, the major storms that hit Quebec in 2017 and 2019 resulted in 6,184 and 7,719 compensation reports, respectively.
“We have set up a $1.8 billion program, it is the most generous program of all the states in North America. The majority of this money has not yet been spent,” said the Prime Minister.
“I want to send a clear message to Quebecers: we are here to help you,” the premier insisted. The vast majority of municipalities will help citizens clean out their basements, he promised. “But we won’t need the Canadian army,” he added, regarding Louiseville, assuring that the situation was “under control.”
For assistance with a request for financial assistance under the compensation program, call 1-888-643-HELP (2433).
Read “What is the government compensation program?”