Rain worries Quebecers beset by floods

Quebecers living along the swollen Richelieu River are facing the grim prospect of leaving their flooded homes again, after the region was doused with several days worth of rain.

The region is among several in the country hit with historic floods and, despite waters recently receding, a string of rainy days has made things worse again.

Residents received two more pieces of news Tuesday: That the military would begin withdrawing troops from the disaster zone, and that the provincial government might increase aid to the hardest-hit property owners.

Thousands of homeowners have scarcely begun to tally up the damage.

Diane Beaudin sloshed through the water Tuesday on her driveway in St-Paul-de-l'Ile-aux-Noix, hoping the pumps would continue draining her submerged basement into the lagoon that used to be her yard.

Outside Beaudin's house, small fish were swimming in knee-deep water covering the town's roads, about 70 kilometres southeast of Montreal.

She said local kids netted a giant carp in front her house and she saw a couple of turtles swim across her driveway.

Beaudin and her husband returned home on the weekend two weeks after evacuating the house when it had a metre of water in the basement.

To their relief, much of the water had gone, but most of it is back now. It's nearly at the level where they will have to leave again.

"The water is rising dangerously and we're worried," she said."We're watching the water level."

Richelieu flooding breaks century-old record

Beaudin considers herself one of the lucky ones others have lost their homes and many of the belongings inside.

Some 3,000 houses have been flooded in the region and around 1,000 have been evacuated since record-breaking flood waters first rose a few weeks ago.

'It's very hard on our morale, we're starting over again. It's stressful. We feel like prisoners.' Diane Beaudin, resident, St-Paul-de-l'Ile-aux-Noix

Water on the Richelieu and Lake Champlain, which straddles the nearby U.S. border, have climbed to levels unseen in over a century.

The floods have made dramatic changes in the region, where it's sometimes difficult to tell where a property ends and the river begins.

Many residents still navigate neighbourhood streets in canoes and rowboats, while chest waders have become a common fashion accessory.

Beaudin said the whole experience has taken an emotional toll on her and her neighbours.

"It's very hard on our morale; we're starting over again," said Beaudin, adding her home wasn't supposed to be in a flood zone.

"It's stressful. We feel like prisoners."

She described the reaction of authorities as slow at first, but once the military arrived, locals were grateful for the help.

Soldiers wind down aid operation

In all, the Canadian Forces deployed 800 soldiers to a large swath of land that stretches south of Montreal to the U.S. border.

Authorities announced Tuesday that they willstart winding down the military operation. Between 200 and 300 soldiers will begin returning to CFB Valcartier, Que., but will remain on standby in case they need to return.

Premier Jean Charest expressed astonishment at how long the floods, which peaked on May 6, have lasted.

"Everyone feels for the people who have been hit hard by this natural disaster, which just won't stop," Charest said Tuesday.

"Frankly, I would never ever have thought I would see floods last a month like this, as well as the rainfall we've had. So, we will help people in every possible way."

Charest, who has already announced plans to beef up financial help for residents, suggested Tuesday he might increase the sum again.

Locals, like St-Blaise-sur-Richelieu resident Eric Laplante, have taken matters into their own hands.

Laplante, along with a gang of buddies and relatives, worked around the clock for seven days encircling his home with 2,500 sandbags and installing 14 pumps.

He said he also pulled a dozen crayfish out of his flooded garage. From his porch, he's seen several backyard sheds float by on the Richelieu.

So far, only small amounts of water have seeped into his basement, but neighbours on both sides weren't as lucky.

Laplante, 27, who moved in to his house last year, said both those homes are total losses.

The psychological stress has been the biggest challenge, he said.

"It's been better ever since the effort was put in," said Laplante, whose pregnant wife had to move in with friends.

"I hope it doesn't happen next year."