After rain the good weather. Admittedly, the sun is out on Saturday, but the rain that fell on the province last week is still causing the rivers to overflow. Roads are also closed to traffic in several regions due to flooding.
This is the case in Pierrefonds, a sector in the north of the island of Montreal, which has been strongly affected in recent days. A small portion of boulevard Gouin is currently closed there.
Same story in the L’Île-Bizard-Sainte-Geneviève borough, even further north, on the other side of the Rivière des Prairies. The Île Mercier bridge, which connects this small island which has a few dozen residences to Île Bizard, is closed.
“Pumps and balloons have been installed at various strategic locations in the territory. Temporary dikes are being put in place as well as non-return valves in the outlets”, indicates the borough’s website, which invites residents to take “all the necessary measures” to properly protect “their family and their property”. .
The Outaouais on the alert
The Quebec Ministry of Public Security (MSP) reported on Saturday a total of three “major flooding” situations, nine “medium”, eight “minor” and 21 “under surveillance”.
Unsurprisingly, in addition to Montreal, it is the municipalities around Lac des Deux Montagnes that are the subject of the greatest number of alerts. The town of Pointe-Calumet, near Parc national d’Oka, is facing a major flood. The water level has even been rising there for the past two days, says the MSP.
A dozen other floods have been identified in the area, particularly in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Saint-Eustache and L’Île-Perrot.
The Outaouais is also hard hit due to the high water level of the river of the same name. A major flood is declared in the west of the City of Gatineau. “The water levels have started to stabilize since last night as anticipated, can we read in a press release issued Saturday afternoon by the municipal administration. The slow and gradual decline, meanwhile, could begin from the beginning of the week.
Significant flooding is also observed by the MSP further north in the region, particularly in Fort-Coulonge and Waltham, about twenty kilometers from Pembroke, Ontario.
Return of good weather
However, the situation is stabilizing in the Charlevoix and Lanaudière regions, which suffered the ravages of major deluges last week.
Saturday, in Baie-Saint-Paul, many resources and stakeholders are still mobilized to help the victims, in particular by the Red Cross. In addition, a shoreline cleaning operation is underway, specifies the City – an operation which risks being facilitated by the good weather which is forecast for the coming week.
In fact, both in Montreal and elsewhere in the south of the province, Environment Canada is forecasting temperatures above normal for the whole of next week. In Montreal, the hottest days will be Thursday and next Friday, when 25°C is forecast with alternating sun and clouds.