Several municipalities in Quebec’s Laurentians, north of Montreal, are warning residents to take precautions as local rivers spill their banks.
“It’s not an exceptional situation,” he said in an interview Tuesday, adding water levels are comparable to those seen almost every year in the city.
The voluntary evacuations are a precaution, he said, motivated by concerns emergency services may not reach people in the flooded area.
Quebec’s Public Security Department has said water levels on the Diable River have peaked.
The department reported one major flood in Quebec, in the city of Saint-Jérôme, though water levels there are receding. It defines a “major flood” as one that could threaten safety or infrastructure in inhabited areas, one that covers a large area or one that could have a major impact on road networks or electrical services.
The City of St-Jérôme issued a provisional warning Monday evening, asking residents in several parts of the community near the du Nord River to stay tuned for further instructions.
In nearby St-Colomban, a bridge over the du Nord River was closed due to rising water levels.
The Transport Department said six other roads in the Laurentians and the neighbouring Lanaudière region have been closed due to flooding and traffic was limited on a seventh road.
In Gatineau, Que., near Ottawa, Mayor France Bélisle said almost 40,000 sandbags had been filled and would be distributed starting Tuesday morning. The city has 200,000 additional sandbags, she said, adding more would be filled.
Quebec’s Public Security Department said its monitoring stations detected one minor flood in Gatineau and another across the river in Ottawa. Water levels in both areas were rising, it said.
Gatineau experienced major flooding in 2017 and 2019, which affected hundreds of homes.
