Broken Quebec dike forces hundreds of evacuations northwest of Montreal
Posted April 28, 2019 3:05 am.
Last Updated April 28, 2019 5:04 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
MONTREAL — Quebec’s premier is telling residents in waterlogged areas of the province that they face a few more “difficult” days ahead and to “have courage” until the flood threat eases.
Francois Legault made the comment yesterday afternoon, just hours before a dike broke in Ste-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, Que., forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents living along the shore of Lake of Two Mountains, northwest of Montreal.
What 26e Avenue looks like here in Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac. Devastation for many. @BTCityNewsMTL pic.twitter.com/5Yb4VJSkrR
— Alyssia (@rubertuccinews) April 28, 2019
Josée Vaillancourt had 10 minutes to grab her twin daughters and flee her house on Domaine 27e Avenue in Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac. She’s of the approximate 6,000 residents here who had to leave when the Lake of Two Mountains dike was breached yesterday evening. @BTCityNewsMTL pic.twitter.com/7aaTqxcWUN
— Alyssia (@rubertuccinews) April 28, 2019
The scene here in Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac where the @sureteduquebec set up a command post and people are seen leaving with their luggage in hand. @BTCityNewsMTL pic.twitter.com/hIR0xjfaxx
— Alyssia (@rubertuccinews) April 28, 2019
There’s an emergency meeting being held at Pierrefonds Comprehensive High School. This is the first time a Montreal city council meeting has been held outside of city hall since 1926. They’ll be discussing the city’s current state of emergency.
Quebec officials said yesterday that 3,085 homes remained flooded, 2,783 others were surrounded by water, 2,003 people had been forced from their homes and about 50 landslides had been reported across the province.
WATCH: Flood zones worsen in Quebec
Legault noted that swollen rivers south of Quebec City are finally receding, however, he said water levels in the corridor along the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers between Montreal and the boundary with Ontario weren’t expected to peak before Monday or Tuesday.
In the Ottawa area, where hundreds of troops have been deployed to help hold back the still rising floodwaters, officials put out a call yesterday for more volunteers to pack and stack sandbags.
Residents fill sandbags to protect #Britannia from potential flooding as the #Ottawa River continues to rise. @1310NEWS @OttawaMatters pic.twitter.com/DdEtWsHSwh
— Jason White (@JasonWhiteNews) April 28, 2019
Meanwhile, in central Ontario’s cottage country officials said water levels were up slightly due to rain on Friday, but they were hopeful some late season snow would act like a sponge and help slow the flow of water into lakes, rivers, and streams.
WATCH: Trudeau lends hand to those fighting flood waters in Ottawa
The best news comes from southern New Brunswick where the forecast calls for flood waters to slowly recede in most areas over the next five days.
The Canadian Press, with files from CityNews Montreal