Richelieu River remains high as floods recede elsewhere in Quebec
Flooding in most parts of Quebec has subsided, with water levels receding enough to allow many people to return home to clean up the mess.
Water level watchdog Hydro Météo said lower temperatures this weekend are helping to stabilize the situation and reduce water levels. However, some rain is called for this weekend.
Flooding was the worst In Quebec’s Beauce and Eastern Townships regions, where residents are now faced with the arduous task of cleaning up.
People in the Quebec City and Chaudière-Appalaches regions have also been returning home.
Over the course of Friday morning, the water level of the Ste-Anne River in St-Raymond went down by three metres. The water has mostly drained from the town, though there’s plenty of mud to clean up.
The City of Sherbrooke, where more than 600 homes were evacuated at the height of the flooding earlier this week, has now organized a special flood waste collection for the weekend.
Yves Vermette, the city’s general director, said people can leave their garbage by the side of the road, but asked that people separate wood from the rest of the garbage if possible. Vermette said the city would announce shortly the date of the garbage pickup.
However, the Richelieu River’s water level remains high, threatening the nearby town of St-Paul-de-l’Île-aux-Noix near Lake Champlain.
Rivers north of the St. Lawrence River are under close surveillance for the time being, as well, particularly in Mauricie and Portneuf due to a significant quantity of ice floating nearby.
