Heavy rain leads to flooding, evacuations in southern Quebec

The spring thawcoupled with heavy rainfallhasled to never-before-seen water levels and flooding in parts of southern and western Quebec.

Val-David and Rawdon are among the communities where some streets are flooded andhomes have been evacuated.

The water level in the RivireOuareau, which runs through Rawdon in the Lanaudire region, reacheda record high, according to Pierre Corbin, the spokesperson for the body that monitors water levels in the province's rivers and lakes.

Eric Fulker, district fire chief for the Rgie Incendie des Monts, said 80 homes in total are affected in the Val-Morin, Val-David and Sainte-Agathe region.

Those residences, Fulker said, have experienced flooding but their owners have not yet received evacuation orders and are staying put for now.

As of 6 p.m., the chief said eight out of 19 homes visited by his crews had beenevacuated along the Chemin de la Rivire, which connects Val-Morin and Val-David.

"The water levels are exceptional this year, compared to what we've seen the last 10 or 12 years," Fulker said.

Situation in Rawdonstabilizing

Yvonne Lefort, wholives on PontbriandBoulevard in Rawdon, was asked to leave her home last night. She said the water levels rose steadily yesterday until about 7 p.m.

"This has already happened, about four or five years ago, but never to that extent," she said.

RawdonMayorBrunoGuilbault said, despite the high water levels, the situation has stabilized in his community.

"I was told by the people at public works that yes,there was overflowing, but things are calming down, and the sun was out, I think that's going to be a good thing, too," he said.

Late Monday morning, one lane of the road, also known asRoute 341, was reopened to traffic.

The Rivire du Nord has also overflowed its banks, causing flooding in Mirabel, but its levels were said to be stabilizing by Monday afternoon.

Several roads have also flooded elsewhere in the Laurentians and the Outaouais region.

Rivers being closely monitored

Areas from theOutaouaisin the west all the way over to theCentre-du-Qubecregion receivedbetween 20 to 40 millimetres of rain on Sunday, which means several riversare being monitored, Corbin said.

Those includethe Outaouais, Chaudire, Milles les, Assomptionand Richelieu rivers, Rivire des Prairies and stretches of the St. Lawrence.

Flooding was reported in the town of Sainte-Mariein the Beauce region, which borders the ChaudireRiver,leading authorities to close a few streets.

However, water levels there are stabilizing, according to local authorities.

The Batiscanand Mastigouche rivers in theMauricieregion, which were also under surveillance, are also expected to stabilize over the course of Monday.

Corbinstopped short of saying the situation this year is exceptional, but said what's different is the length of time the water levels have been high.

"Every time we reach the point where water levels would go down, there's a rain event that maintains the high levels," he said.

Even though the rain is supposed to end today, Corbin said he expects the levels will continue to rise in the larger waterways over the next few days.

What to do if asked to evacuate

Urgence Qubec, the government body that keeps citizens informedin emergency situations, issued a list of tips for those who are asked to leave their homes.

• Take everything your family needs, such as an emergency kit, medication and prescriptions, as well as your pet.
• Be sure to lock the doors and windows before leaving.
• Alert municipal authorities to where you will be staying once you leave.

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