Quebec Premier François Legault says his main priority is getting victims of last week’s flooding more financial compensation, and he’s considering adjusting some government aid programs to do it.
Legault met with officials in the town of Louiseville, Que., in the Mauricie region Thursday morning, where 250 residents were affected by torrential rain. The heavy rain led to landslides across southern Quebec, widespread road damage and knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of Hydro-Québec clients.
He said his government is now looking into the possibility of expanding government aid programs to help reimburse people who suffered property damage from sewer backup — something basic insurance policies also do not cover.
“If the sewer backups were exceptionally numerous due to flooding, well, common sense would tell us that we should maybe expand the program. So that’s something we’re looking at right now,” he told reporters.
The premier said his top priorities after the flooding were to restore power for about 550,000 Hydro-Québec clients and reopen or repair washed out roads that left homes isolated.
“It was done,” he said. “The problem that remains … has to do with financial compensation for people who were flooded.”
He clarified that he’s not saying the government would cover all sewer backups or pay out the total cost of repairs, but the door is open for providing more help.
According to the latest update from the Quebec government, 86 municipalities were affected by the intense storm. In all, 2,300 residences were flooded and about 460 residents evacuated from their homes. As of Wednesday, 53 roads were still damaged and 348 homes were still inaccessible.
‘We need hands’
Legault’s trip to Louiseville marks his first visit to a flood-stricken community since remnants of tropical storm Debby swept across the province on Friday.
Yvon Deshaies, the mayor of the municipality 160 kilometres southwest of Quebec City, says his residents are still struggling in the aftermath.
“It’s terrible what we had in Louiseville — 155 millimetres of water,” he told reporters Thursday morning ahead of his meeting with Legault.
Deshaies said the streets are littered with tossed furniture and debris being removed from flooded homes and basements.
“People are suffering … we need hands,” he said.
The mayor wanted Legault to ask for a dozen Canadian Armed Forces soldiers to support people cleaning out their homes, but the premier rejected that request.
“We’re capable of finding 10 or 12 people with the help of the surrounding municipalities,” he said.
“We don’t need the Canadian army for that.”