Saturday, March 19, 2022 at 6:47 p.m. – Conditions are conducive to spring flooding, especially in southern Quebec. Already, some regions are preparing.
In short :
- Southern Quebec to watch;
- The weekend system could accelerate the trend.
The Montérégie and Estrie regions are in the sights of the authorities. Public Safety will indeed be keeping a close eye on these areas over the weekend due to the increased risk of flooding there.
The Chaudière, Beauce, and Rigaud, Outaouais rivers are currently under surveillance. They could exceed the minor flood threshold over the next few days.
A flood watch has also been issued for the L’Acadie River in Montérégie.
Ice break-up warnings were issued by Hydro-Météo for Estrie, Montérégie and part of Centre-du-Québec. The latter has been preparing for a few weeks for flooding, which is especially possible in the Nicolet-Bécancour sector. The Lotbinière region, in Chaudière-Appalaches, should also keep an eye out.
Good to know : a breakup occurs when the ice breaks up on a watercourse. An ice jam is the obstruction of a watercourse that impedes its flow, and the debris can be of all kinds.
The Ottawa-Gatineau region is also preparing for possible spring flooding.
For now, everything seems under control. However, the situation could change in the next few hours. Some vigilance will be required by Monday, when a drop in temperatures could reduce the risk.
Several things to watch out for
Several factors have to be taken into consideration. The exceptionally mild temperatures that have prevailed in southern Quebec for the past few days are to be considered, as well as the fact that they remain above the freezing point overnight. The snow is therefore disappearing at high speed in many regions.
In addition, a strong low pressure system will leave a good amount of liquid precipitation in its wake, accelerating the melting of the snow even more. The various waterways will also be improved, as will their flow. Right now, water levels are already rising.
Bad memory
The spring floods of 2017 and 2019 left a painful memory for many municipalities. Nearly 760 roads were submerged throughout the territory, and dozens of municipalities found themselves isolated. Landslides also destroyed many infrastructures. The Canadian Armed Forces have been deployed over a large portion of southern and western Quebec, from the Outaouais to Trois-Rivières via Montreal.