How to be prepared in case Quebec is hit with more flooding
With temperatures expected to climb to 11 C on Wednesday and more rainfall in the forecast, shoreside residents and municipalities in southern Quebec are bracing for possible flooding.
Here are some ways you can prepare for the worst in the case of imminent flooding.
Stay informed
Keep up to date on flooding alerts via the City of Montreal's alert page on Twitter.
During last year's flooding, updates were posted on flooding activity, street closures, and advice from Hydro-Québec, SAAQ and other organizations.
If you have any questions or concerns about flooding, the city asks that you call 311.
Residents have expressed concern that there wasn't an easy-to-use alert system for Montreal.
"I would like to be able to go somewhere online on a daily basis and check and see what's happening with the water levels, and if they're monitoring them, and if they are concerned with upcoming levels and what not," Île Mercier resident Jan Wilkinson, whose home was flooded last year, told Daybreak on Tuesday.
Block and divert water from getting in your home
In the event of an imminent flood, Urgence Québec advises residents to place bags of sand in front of each entrance and opening to your home, including doors, the garage, and the coping.
As many West Island homes were inundated last year, the City of Dorval has made 800 sandbags available to its residents.
Homeowners with a sloping driveway are more at risk.
Residents should also block sewers in the basement to avoid backflow, and plug the floor drain to reduce the amount of water that could come up through the drainpipe.
Keep your stuff safe
In case of flooding, your valuables and "any items that can be removed from the basement or ground floor" to an upper floor, Urgence Québec says.
Anything in your yard that can be easily moved should be secured or removed to make sure they're not swept away by the current, the agency warns.
It also advises that residents protect their windows facing the St. Lawrence River with plywood.
If water is threatening to enter your home, shut off the power to prevent electrocution or fire hazards — but if the water is already in your home, call Hydro-Québec to do it for you at 1-800-790-2424.
As well, turn off the valves on propane bottles and tanks, and the outlet valve of the fuel oil tank, Urgence Québec says.
