Nearly 1,300 people are isolated across Quebec, while a hundred roads were seriously damaged during the storm. Debby on the night of Friday to Saturday. The latter also forced the emergency evacuation of 300 people.
Check the status of the Hydro-Québec network
According to the Ministry of Public Security, it will take a few days before all of the isolated people are freed.
“Emergency services are establishing temporary access routes to ensure their safety and that they do not lack anything,” explains the spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Security, Denis Belanger.
Public Security is currently in contact with around forty municipalities to help them.
The Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, is expected to sign a ministerial decree in the coming hours to implement an emergency financial aid program.
The latter will aim to help municipalities that have had to incur “exceptional costs” because of the storm. Debbyas well as citizens flooded due to flooding of rivers or streams.
The significant amounts of rain brought by the remnants of the hurricane Debby Internal flooding has caused water to accumulate on the road network, particularly in the Lanaudière region. This is why the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility is asking the population to avoid traveling there unless it is essential.
Other roads also remain closed in several regions of Quebec, notably Mauricie and Montreal where the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel is closed in both directions.
Nearly 70,000 people without electricity
Nearly 70,000 Hydro-Québec customers are still without power Saturday as the storm Debby continues its crossing of Quebec towards the North Shore.
According to Hydro-Québec spokesperson Louis-Olivier Batty, a large majority of the power outages were due to the shutdown of three electrical transformer stations on Montreal’s South Shore. Vegetation near power lines was also a major cause of outages in Quebec.
“On the South Shore of Montreal, Mother Nature was unfortunately stronger than Hydro-Québec,” says Louis-Olivier Batty.
He added that Hydro-Québec had “the human resources to respond if necessary,” but that the state-owned company was taken by surprise by the large quantity of water that fell in such a short time.
“We hope that by midnight, there will be a large majority of customers for whom electricity service will be restored,” explains the Hydro-Québec spokesperson. There could be a few customers left until [dimanche] in areas where there is more work and damage, such as in Estrie and the Laurentians.”
Hydro-Québec is monitoring the situation alongside public safety and is coordinating with them for operations on the ground. No fewer than 400 workers are still working to reconnect the entire network.
Louis-Olivier Batty also reminds us that it is important to stay at a minimum distance of 10 metres from an electrical wire that is on the ground.
It also urges the public not to cut off the electricity to their home themselves if the electrical panel is located in a flooded area. Instead, Hydro-Québec invites people who want to have their electricity cut off remotely to call +1 (800) 790-2424.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
The basement of a residence on rue des Patriotes, in the Sainte-Rose district of Laval, was flooded following a sewer backup.
Debby is heading towards the North Shore
According to Environment Canada meteorologist Dominic Morin, although the showers are over in all regions, the Côte-Nord should see between 10 and 20 mm of precipitation fall on Saturday.
Montreal received the highest amounts of rain with 150 to 170 millimeters in 24 hours, a daily and monthly record according to the meteorologist.
Summary of rainfall amounts on Friday (in millimeters)
- Lanoraie: 221
- Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue: 173
- Brossard: 163
- Terrebonne: 160
- Montreal (Dorval): 154
- Montreal (downtown): 145
- Mont-Tremblant: 134
- Three Rivers: 114
- Gatineau: 70 to 100
- Drummondville: 83
- Quebec: 82
- Sherbrooke: 80
Source: Environment Canada
Several boil water advisories remain in effect this Saturday morning. This is the case for the cities of Boucherville, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, the borough of Saint-Hubert and part of the borough of Vieux-Longueuil, in Longueuil.
Check the interactive map for boil water advisories
Gusts of 70 km/h were also recorded Friday evening. Some municipalities in the Laurentians, Outaouais, Lanaudière, Montérégie and Estrie had to declare a state of emergency.
A surgeon at the Cité-de-la-Santé hospital on duty Friday evening explained to The Press that two emergency generators at the health facility stopped working for nearly two hours. The latter was forced to complete an operation with a flashlight.
The CIUSS de Laval had not yet confirmed this information at the time of publication.
Laval at work
The City of Laval has deployed 70 of its employees to secure the facilities and meet with citizens in need. They are supported by the municipality’s police and fire departments.
The Guimond sports complex was open until Sunday to welcome citizens wishing to have access to sanitary facilities and recharge their electronic devices.
Laval Public Affairs Councillor Jonathan Levesque emphasizes that the water there remains drinkable, but that the swimming pools and access to the beach are closed “until further notice” as a precaution due to the numerous backflows.
The nine libraries will be open all weekend to welcome citizens.
A person missing in Mauricie
A man is still missing in the municipality of Notre-Dame-de-Montauban after being swept away around 11:30 p.m. in the waters of the Batiscan River.
According to the Sûreté du Québec, the roadway collapsed due to bad weather, putting two people in a “precarious situation.” One of the two people tried unsuccessfully to rescue the other person.
It is currently impossible for the police to comb the banks or access the river. Drones are therefore being used to locate the missing individual.