With sun shining, floodwaters begin to recede west of Montreal
The floodwaters that forced hundreds from their homes in southwestern Quebec have begun to recede.
Heavy rain earlier this week caused the Ottawa River to overflow, leading to severe flooding in parts of Rigaud, Que., west of Montreal.
Water levels in that area have stabilized and are now slowly dropping, Hydro Météo, a non-governmental monitoring agency, said in a bulletin issued Sunday morning.
Floodwaters in Gatineau and Laval are also gradually receding.
The sunny skies forecast over the next week, starting with a high of 17 expected Sunday, is expected to help matters.
Rigaud declared a state of emergency on Thursday and ordered more than 400 families to leave their homes.
Officials also ordered residents in the flood zones not to drink their well water as septic tanks are likely contaminating the supply.
The provincial government has promised to provide compensation to the municipalities affected by the flooding.
