Montreal is calling on its citizens to avoid the St. Lawrence and the Rivière des Prairies on Friday because Thursday’s torrential rains caused sewage overflows in these waterways.
The sewer network of the metropolis was overwhelmed by the amount of water that fell in the late afternoon. In the central part of the island, the usual July rainfall fell within two hours. Contact with these watercourses must therefore be avoided for the next 48 hours.
“There is not a city in the world that has the infrastructure to take all that water,” said Philippe Sabourin, spokesperson for the City of Montreal.
Friday morning, 58,000 Hydro-Quebec subscribers were still without power.
Mr. Sabourin indicated that half a dozen viaducts in Montreal had been flooded Thursday afternoon. The situation returned to normal in the evening.
About 130 citizens were flooded, especially in the central districts, and as many trees were destroyed. The 311 service received 1,300 calls in relation to the storm.