The cities of Joliette and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu were particularly affected by the thunderstorms that crossed southern Quebec on Friday afternoon. Torrential rains caused sewer backups, particularly in Joliette.
In Joliette, in Lanaudière, between 100 and 120 millimeters of rain fell Friday afternoon, including 63 millimeters in one hour, indicates Dominic Morin, meteorologist for Environment Canada. On the side of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, in Montérégie, a hundred millimeters of rain were recorded, of which 70 fell in one hour.
On social networks, photos and videos of flooded roads, parking lots and basements have appeared. “The sewer systems are not able to take in as much rain as quickly, which creates backups or accumulations on the roads,” explains Morin.
Police officers from the Sûreté du Québec had to intervene for immobilized vehicles due to the accumulation of water, confirmed Camille Savoie, spokesperson for the police force. In Saint-Paul, a municipality around Joliette, several vehicles got stuck in the water on Boulevard des Industries.
The police were also called to intervene in Notre-Dame-des-Prairies and Crabtree, two municipalities around Joliette, for cars unable to move forward, adds Mme Savoy.
More details to come