Gatineau flooding a race against time, officials say

Emergency officials in Gatineau areadvising residents of some 300 homes to leave immediately as water levels there reacha 20-year high and forecasters call for more rain.

Jean-GuyLeclerc, director of operations for theGatineauFire Service, saidwater levels areexpected to continue rising in the coming days. Rescue crews have already had to use boats to help people from their homes.

Claire Tremblay said her basement flooded almost to the ceilingafter her sump pump stopped working, but she said she plansto stay as long as possible.

With water levels rising steadily at two centimetres per hour, time is running out for many residents.

City officials saidat least 91 people have already been forced from their homes, with about one-third of them currently in the care of the Red Cross. The municipality has set up two evacuations centres, and about 40 roads have been closed.

Adding to the worry is the current forecast, with up to 45 millimetres of rain expected Friday, with more wet weather coming Saturday and Sunday. With the ground already saturated, runoff is being channeled into the region's rivers.

Officials in Clarence-Rocklandare recommending people leave theirhomes if they're floodedbecause emergency response will be delayed by the flooding.

Maniwakialso on flood watch

In Maniwaki, the Desert River, which runs along the Rue des Oblats, swelled by 50 centimetres Mondayand another 50 centimetresTuesday.

Officials hopethe water level will stabilize for the rest of the week,but additional rainfall expected to hit the region Fridayworries the director of civil security for the Outaouais, Gaetan Lessard.

With water levels expected to rise Friday,Saturday and Sunday,Lessardsaid officials might have to reopen the Mercier dam floodgates. That couldcause levels in the Desert River to rise even higher, he said.

Maniwaki resident Jean-Michel Lapratte, who remembersmassive flooding in 1974, istaking precautions.

"We emptied the basement, we put everything up that we could climb. My workshop and my carpentry equipment were emptied. It's in my brother's house. We tried to save as much material as possible."

Despite everything, the mayor of Maniwaki, Robert Coulombe, said he'sconfident the town's pumping station will be able to handle the pressure, but he's wary of the coming rain.