Torrential rains on Sunday damaged around 20 sections of road in Chertsey, in the Lanaudière region, while four sectors with over 100 citizens were cut off.
The municipality of Chertsey took stock on Monday morning of the 120 millimetres of rain that fell on its territory over 36 hours.
The northern part of the municipality was the most affected sector, said said Chertsey Mayor Michelle Joly.
“The objective is to restore access (to the roads) to all of our citizens so that they can get around,” said Chertsey general director Marc-André Plante, on Monday morning. “It’s quite exceptional, at the end of June, for there to be precipitation and that we are managing so many situations.”
Joly recalled that the municipality of some 5,500 inhabitants has 347 kilometres of road and 110 lakes.
“We expect further damage in the coming days. Adaptation to climate variations (…) will require upstream investments with specific support from governments for small municipalities like ours,” she indicated, adding that many of the challenges rest on their shoulders.
Crews have already temporarily repaired damaged sections near Lake Lane and Lake Clermoustier. However, the municipality expects that five or six asphalt roads that were damaged by the rains will require the help of engineers, which could take longer.
The municipality’s director of public networks, Olivier Sicard, emphasized that the worst is over, but that repairs sometimes take longer since crews must make several trips between the various damaged sections.
Joly added that Lac des Cygnes had overflowed and that two rivers were under surveillance, the Ouareau and Jean-Venne rivers.
Quebec public security reported moderate flooding in the Ouareau River near the head of Dorwin Falls, in Rawdon, located about fifteen kilometres from the municipality of Chertsey.
Plante urged citizens to be careful on the roads, particularly in the evening, when the cracks are less visible.
Also, he advised the population not to venture on the Ouareau River by kayak or canoe.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews