Residents left scrambling after Quebec bans rebuilding in high-risk flood zones

Some Quebec homeowners and municipalities affected by severe spring flooding are scrambling after the provincial government announced this week it will enforce rules to forbid rebuilding in areas at a high risk of flooding.

Environment Minister David Heurtel said Thursday the move to prohibit rebuilding homes that were completely destroyed in zones that are likely to flood once every 20 years is necessary to protect homeowners but some residents say now they don't know where they stand with repairs.

"I mean we're really tired and we're sort of at the end of a long marathon,"said HlneGuilbault. "We're at the finish line and we get this news out of nowhere."

• 100s across Quebec still can't return home due to flooding

After being forced to flee low-lying, flood-stricken le Mercier, Guilbault and her husband Andrei Medvedev haven't been able to return home since early May after seven feet ofwater seeped into their basement and damaged the foundation.

The couple have been through a flurry of paperwork since then in order to pass an inspection, receive quotes for repairs and securea permit to rebuild as early as next week.

Guilbaultand Medvedevonly bought their houseless than a year ago, but now they are unsure whether or not they will be able to keep it.

"I think that people who live here should be given the chance to keep living,"Medvedev.

The government's announcement comes as a hard blowsinceGuilbaultalso found out this weekshe may not be able tokeep her job at Sears Canada after the chain announced the closures of 59 stores across the country.

For now, the couple will wait to act until they know more from the province.

"We'll see things as develop," said Guilbault. "We're waiting again. SinceMay 7th, it'salways one thing after another just waiting, waiting, waiting. Waiting for the money to come in, waiting for everything."

• Quebec cracks down on homeowners trying to rebuild in high-risk flood zones

Questions left unanswered

Richard Lehoux, the president of the Quebec federation of municipalities (FQM), said the province should have consulted with flood-stricken towns about not allowing homeowners to rebuild and about updating flood maps later this year.

"Where will we be relocating these people?" he said, adding that many residents were concerned.

A total of 278 municipalities were affected by flooding this spring, forcing more than 4,000 people from their homes.

Thegovernmentestimates that between 500 to 800 homes are completely destroyed, but it's stillnot clear how many of those homes are located in high-risk areas.

For Lehoux, he said that the province hasn't yet shared details on how toaccommodate residentswho may not be at all able to return home. The government plans to hold public consultations in July and Lehoux expects there will be many questions.

"What we need is answers for our residents as quickly as possible," he said.