2023-07-11 11:15:57
The flow of the Montmorency River in Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval could reach historic levels on Tuesday, when more than 650 people have already been evacuated from their homes.
See the explanations of the journalist Valérie Chouinard in the video, above.
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“The flow is expected to exceed 966 m3/s. This is unheard of in modern times,” explains the general manager of Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval, Marc Proulx.
The previous record dates back to December 25, 2020, when the flow reached around 800 m3/s. Levels of 1000 m3/s were already reached in the 1960s, he explains, but the calculation equipment was not the same.
“That’s why we pay special attention to areas that are not usually affected by flooding,” he says.
At 8 a.m., the river flow was 719 m3/s, while another 25 millimeters of rain are expected in the Quebec region by the end of the day.
Photo Jeremy Bernier
The Remous, Saint-Georges, Deux-Rapides, Île Enchanteresse and rang Saint-Léon sectors were the first to be targeted by the emergency measures put in place by the municipality on Monday afternoon.
On Tuesday, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) had installed ropes and concrete blocks in front of the entrance to this sector to prevent passers-by from going there.
“With children and dogs, it’s not easy. But it was to be expected, we chose to live there, ”confided to the Journal Félix-Antoine Deschênes, an evacuee from Enchanting Island, feeling helpless in the face of the situation.
About fifty other residences were targeted by the evacuations on Tuesday morning, in particular on rue du Grand-Fonds, rue Saint-Georges and rue Parent. In total, about 650 citizens had to leave their homes in a hurry.
“It’s the first time it’s happened to us, we’re not supposed to be in a flood zone. It is sure that it is stressful , launches Claire, a resident of the street Parent who was on the point of leaving.
Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval is currently concentrating on accompanying the evacuees, whom she asks to go to Sapphire Park, on rue Kildare, to be taken care of.
But the management of the municipality says it is aware that analyzes will have to be done on site to reassess the sectors at risk and make any decisions in this direction.
“There will have to be a revision of the maps of the flood zones, that’s for sure. People from the Organization des bassins versants de Charlevoix-Montmorency are also on site to take measurements in the field,” says Mr. Proulx.
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