Torrential rains drenched southern Quebec on Friday, breaking the record for rainfall in Montreal. The rain came in the wake of tropical storm Debby and a low pressure system that had formed over the Great Lakes.
According to Environment and Climate Change Canada figures, the city received 157 millimetres of rain on Friday, surpassing the previous all-time daily record for rainfall set back in November 1996.
Montreal fire services said it received 614 calls for help over 18 hours between Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. It used a boat in three rescue operations to help people stuck in their cars on flooded roadways.
Nearly 35 municipalities across Quebec were impacted by the rain, a total of 1,539 homes have been isolated, 344 people were evacuated from their homes and nearly 100 roads were affected, said Quebec Public Security Minister François Bonnardel on the social media platform X.
Several landslides have also been reported in the Laurentians.
Highway 40 is closed in both directions between Louiseville and Pointe-du-Lac near Trois-Rivières.
The storm has also led to power outages across the province. As of 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, around 55,000 Hydro-Québec customers were without power, most of them in the Eastern Townships. At its peak, Hydro-Québec reported more than 550,000 clients without power.
Hydro-Québec said around 300 workers were out in the field to solve the issue. In a statement, it said the vast majority of its customers would have their power restored by the end of Saturday evening.
Spokesperson Louis-Olivier Batty said a lot of the problems were due to the strong winds bringing down branches on lines and flooding in the Crown corporation’s sub-stations.
La Macaza, a municipality about 170 kilometres northwest of Montreal in the Laurentians region, declared a state of emergency on Friday. It has since opened a shelter for victims and an emergency co-ordination centre.
On Saturday, the municipality of Chelsea, located in the province’s Outaouais region, also announced it was in a state of emergency for 48 hours.
The Canadian Red Cross said its teams “rushed to the scene immediately” and helped relocate residents of a few long-term care facilities, retirement homes and campgrounds. The organization says it is still monitoring the situation.
Recommendations to help Quebecers cope with the situation
Several residents in the province have been trapped by floodwaters, according to Urgence Québec.
The agency encourages people to check their municipality’s social media pages and websites for crucial information about disaster relief.
A boil water advisory is in effect for several areas including Boucherville, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, the Longueuil borough of Saint-Hubert and part of Vieux-Longueuil. Officials blame an electrical failure which led to technical issues and a drop in pressure.
They recommend that residents boil their water for at least one minute before consumption until further notice.
The remnants of Hurricane Debby hit Quebec on Friday, bringing torrential rains that flooded roads in Montreal.
The significant weather event also had an impact on the road network in several parts of the province.
Quebec’s Transport Ministry is asking people in the Lanaudière region to stay off the roads and travel there only if it is essential until teams have completed their operations.
Roads remain closed in several regions, including Mauricie and Montreal.
