Hundreds of residents have evacuated their homes in Quebec
as local crews scramble to repair critical infrastructure after flooding hit
several townships in recent days, with authorities saying they are expecting
even more rain.
Quebec Public Safety Minister Francois Bonnardel called on
Baie-Saint-Paul residents to be patient as repair crews work on local highways
and stretches of road destroyed by water.
On Monday, the municipalities of Baie-Saint-Paul, in
Charlevoix, and Saint-Côme, in Lanaudière, activated their emergency measures
due to rising water, saturating roads, demolishing infrastructure and seriously
damaging homes.
Authorities were unable to give a concrete timetable for
when the roads would reopen. Bonnardel said that “we have to be realistic.”
Meanwhile, Saint Jerome, Que. is experiencing exceptionally
high water as levels reach Quebec’s “major flood” category after several days
of rain.
On Tuesday, a handful of flood-monitoring stations reported
higher-than-normal waters. The provincial forecast suggests that water levels
will remain high for several days.
Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon, near Lac Maskinongé and
Pointe-Calumet, near Lac des Deux Montagnes, experienced medium flooding
through Tuesday morning. It was a similar situation in the
Saint-Agathe-des-Monts area, in Joliette near Dorwin Falls, which surrounds Lac
Sainte-Rose near Mastigouche, and on the Rivière Petit Saguenay.
The Mares River flows through Highway 138 after major spring
flooding forced road and main highway closures on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 in Baie
Saint-Paul Que. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
MISSING FIREFIGHTERS
Local authorities also launched a search and rescue mission
for two firefighters who were swept away by fast currents.
Quebec provincial police said firefighters were trying to
evacuate people from their home in Saint-Urbain, in Quebec’s Charlevoix region,
before they were swept into the water.
In an update on Tuesday, the provincial police said their
investigation is ongoing and the drones and divers were part of the rescue
team.
Police asked the families of the firefighters to remain
hopeful as crews plan to continue their search through the day.
“We are here to help,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said
Tuesday. Federal personnel were dispatched to assist in the search.
Trudeau also said that Quebec has not yet contacted its
government to help with flood relief.
“We are here to help if necessary,” he added.
JUMPER CONNECTION ‘TOTALLY INACCESSIBLE’
“In many areas of Baie-Saint-Paul, we have sections of road
that are completely torn up. Highway 138, in both directions, is impassable,”
Baie-Saint-Paul mayor Michaël Pilote explained on Monday.
“The bridge connecting Baie-Saint-Paul to Les Éboulements is
completely inaccessible,” he said. That night, 1,000 people were still without
electricity in the municipality.
The municipality is asking its citizens to stay home,
inviting those who are forced to leave their homes to contact 911.
Several roads in the city were closed due to flooding and
two day care centers were also evacuated. The children were transported to an
emergency center set up in the local arena, where their parents came to pick
them up at the end of the day.
Two provincial police officers secure a flood-damaged road
Monday, May 1, 2023, in Baie Saint-Paul, Quebec. In Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, about
90 kilometers northeast of the provincial capital, the mayor declared a state
of emergency due to heavy rains that washed away roads and isolated homes. THE
CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
“I woke up at 1:30 pm in a state of panic,” resident Claudia
Fillion told The Canadian Press.
“There are people here who say they haven’t seen this in 50
years,” said another resident, Michel Gobeil. “People who think there is no
problem with the environment will be confused.”
“The situation is evolving very fast, it is minute by
minute,” Mayor Pilote said. “I am in communication with different levels of
government, including the Ministry of Public Safety, Municipal Affairs and
Quebec City…we are working with the government.”
Crews are going door to door to make sure everyone still in
town is safe.
Meanwhile, the municipality of Saint-Côme, which has also
declared a state of emergency, has chosen not to grant interviews while
providing urgent assistance to citizens. Information and updates on the
situation will be posted on the municipality’s Facebook page.
Late Tuesday morning, the municipality wrote that the
evacuation order called for Monday had been lifted. Extensive damage remains on
roads, forcing residents to detour to avoid affected areas.
“There are places that split in two,” said resident Chantal
Arseneault.
“I’m only ten minutes from town,” he added. “I can’t go to
the grocery store or run other errands unless I make a big detour.”
‘100 YEAR FLOODS’ ALMOST EVERY YEAR: GUILBAULT
Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says the
government is trying to keep up with the growing impact of climate change in Canada.
Asked about emergency preparedness, he linked the flooding
to a changing climate.
“What we’re basically seeing is 100-year floods that happen
almost every year now, and we know there’s a link to climate change,” he said.
That once-in-a-century comment was echoed by Innovation,
Science and Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne, who called the
images of the Charlevoix floods “devastating.”
“The recurrence of (these floods) forces us all to rethink,”
he said.
“It’s not just about rebuilding, it’s about how we can
prevent these events,” which are generally expected to happen “once in a
decade, once in a century,” he said.
Bonnardel also recognized that municipalities need
provincial help to deal with the intensification of the climate. He said the
CAQ is mobilizing funds to help small communities protect their shorelines.
Floodwaters surround a home along the Brtas-du-Nord River,
Monday, May 1, 2023, in Baie Saint-Paul, Quebec. Provincial police searched
Monday for two people swept away by the current in the flooded Rivière du Gouffre,
in the Charlevoix region of Quebec, where up to 60 millimeters of rain fell in
a 24-hour period. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
“Climate change is hitting us,” he said. But opposition
parties say that’s not enough.
Quebec Prime Minister Francois Legault will arrive in Baie
St-Paul on Wednesday.
“This is a reality,” said Parti Quebecois leader Paul
St-Pierre Plamondon. “And unfortunately no, we don’t see any sign of a
government really taking this seriously.”
In a press conference, the liberal leader Marc Tanguay
suggested that the renegotiation of the fiscal pact could be an opportunity to
obtain more money for climate adaptation. “Okay, when a tragedy happens, invest
funds to repair, contain. But what can we do upstream? It will take money, ”he
said.
BUS DIVERSIONS FROM FLOODING FORCES
Rising river levels are forcing some bus detours in
Montreal.
On Tuesday afternoon, the STM reported canceled stops or
diversions on four routes. Several more are under surveillance.
You can track bus diversions using the new STM tool launched
in February.
— Published with archives from The Canadian Press
