(Montreal) The spring floods caused flooding which can be observed Tuesday morning in some regions of Quebec.
Quebec Public Security reported significant flooding in the Laurentians, Saint-Jérôme, Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts and Mont-Tremblant. Another flood occurred near the Dorwin Falls, in Rawdon, in Lanaudière.
In Saint-Jérôme, the flow of the Rivière du Nord was already very strong before dawn.
In the Montreal region, minor flooding was reported at four locations on the shores of Lac des Deux-Montagnes and along the Rivière des Mille-Îles. The water also came out of its bed near Lake Saint-Pierre and Lake Maskinongé, in Mauricie, near the Etchemin River, in Saint-Henri-de-Lévis, and at two places on the Ottawa River, in Ottawa. as well as at the Hull Marina in Gatineau.
The level of several rivers is under surveillance by the authorities. This is particularly the case of the St. Lawrence River, in the west of the island of Montreal. The Rivière des Prairies presents a high risk of flooding.
The authorities explain that the melting of the snow caused by the recent heat and the rains expected over the next few days are causing the waters to rise.
However, Civil Security spokeswoman Marie-Soleil Boulet-Pruneau said Monday there was no fear of major flooding yet.
In Gatineau, Mayor France Bélisle said nearly 40,000 filled sandbags were ready for distribution Tuesday morning, at seven vulnerable sites. Teams have also started filling additional sandbags.
The City of Gatineau has three bagging machines, for increased filling capacity. To date, 200,000 empty bags are available in reserve to be bagged, according to municipal authorities.
The main city in the Outaouais was hit by major spring flooding in 2017 and 2019, which resulted in the loss of several hundred homes.