(Sherbrooke) The significant amounts of rain that have fallen in Estrie since Monday have caused the level of the Saint-François River to rise sharply, which notably crosses downtown Sherbrooke.
On Tuesday, municipal authorities in Sherbrooke reported that the river level reached 19.5 feet. Consequently, the watercourse is under the high surveillance of the Municipal Civil Security Organization (OMSC).
Authorities report that the Île-Marie campsite in Sherbrooke, located on the banks of the Saint-François River, as well as the municipal garage have been evacuated. Traffic lanes were closed to traffic, in particular the ramp from boulevard des Grandes-Fourches Sud towards rue Galt.
The City of Sherbrooke said Tuesday morning that it was carrying out the first preventive evacuations in certain streets near the river.
At dawn on Tuesday, Environment Canada issued a rain warning for the Sherbrooke area. The federal agency then forecast an additional 15 to 25 millimeters of rain by noon on Tuesday.
Environment Canada added that such precipitation combined with that already received was unusually high and could cause flash floods, flooding, landslides and water accumulation on roads.
The Saint-François River has its origins in Grand Lac Saint-François and crosses many municipalities, including Windsor, Richmond and Drummondville before flowing into the Saint-Lawrence River.