Quebec premier says top priority is getting flood victims more compensation

Quebec PremierFranois Legault says his main priority is getting victims oflast week's floodingmore financial compensation, and he'sconsidering adjusting some government aid programs to do it.

Legaultmet with officials in thetown of Louiseville, Que., in the Mauricie region Thursday morning, where 250 residents were affected by torrential rain. The heavy rainled to landslides across southern Quebec,widespread road damage and knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of Hydro-Qubec clients.

He said hisgovernment is now looking into the possibility of expanding government aid programs to help reimbursepeople who suffered property damage from sewer backup somethingbasic insurance policies also donot cover.

UPDATE:Quebec widens scope of tropical storm Debby flooding compensation

"If the sewer backups were exceptionally numerous due to flooding, well, common sense would tell us that we should maybe expand the program. So that's something we're looking at right now," he told reporters.

The premier said his top priorities after the flooding wereto restore power for about550,000 Hydro-Qubecclients and reopen or repair washed out roads that left homes isolated.

"It was done," he said. "The problem that remains has to do with financial compensation for people who were flooded."

He clarified that he's not saying the government would cover all sewer backups or pay out the total cost of repairs, but the door is open for providing more help.

According tothe latest update from the Quebec government, 86 municipalities in total were affected bythe intense storm. Inall, 2,300 residenceswere flooded and about 460 residents evacuated from their homes.

As of Thursday, 12 municipalities were still under states of emergency and48roads were still damaged. In addition,145homes were still inaccessible, about 200 fewer than the previous day.

'We need hands'

Legault'strip to Louisevillemarks his first visit to a flood-stricken community since remnants of tropical storm Debby swept across the province on Friday.

Yvon Deshaies, the mayor of the municipality 160 kilometres southwest of Quebec City, says his residents are still struggling in the aftermath.

"It's terrible what we had in Louiseville 155 millimetresof water," he told reporters Thursday morning ahead of his meeting with Legault.

Deshaies said the streets are littered with tossed furniture and debris being removed from flooded homes and basements.

"People are suffering we need hands," he said.

The mayor wanted Legault to ask for a dozen Canadian Armed Forces soldiers to support people cleaning out their homes, but the premierrejected that request.

"We're capable of finding 10 or 12 peoplewith the help of the surrounding municipalities," he said.

"We don't need the Canadian army for that."

WATCH | How tocheck if your insurance covers flooding:

Does your home insurance policy cover flooding?

13 days ago

Duration 5:03

Franca Glenzer is an assistant professor at HEC Montral's finance department. She says many basic insurance policies do not include flood coverage.