Lanaudière residents scramble to save homes as floodwaters surge

Johanne Carpentier has been coming to her country home in Sainte-Émélie-de-l'Énergie, Que., for the last 60 years.

It sits on the bank of the Rivière Noire in the Lanaudière region of Quebec — northeast of Montreal —  but after days of heavy rainfall, the river has surged into the streets and transformed her home into an island amid the floodwater. 

With Carpentier's vehicle blocked off by the hip-deep water, she went to inspect the damage on foot, while her husband ventured on kayak this morning to get the water pump working. Some 30 centimetres of water has accumulated in her cellar, but it could be worse, she said. Her sister, who lives in town, has three times as much water and is unable to leave the house. 

The Carpentiers aren't the only ones trudging through rising waters in the region. As parts of several towns and villages, including Saint-Côme, Chertsey and Rawdon continue to deal with floodwater, residents are doing what they can to protect their homes. 

Marc-André Forget also calls Sainte-Émélie-de-l'Énergie home, and the river runs right through his backyard. 

"I've got eight pumps working right now," said Forget. 

After hours upon hours of pumping water out of his house, he can finally see the floor of his basement. Yet, despite being told to evacuate, he's planning to stick around and make sure the pumps are doing their job. What really worries him is that trees around his property will tumble onto his home. 

He too said this isn't the first time the river has crept onto his property, and it probably won't be the last.

Carpentier agrees. "When I was younger, there was a flood about every five years, but now it's once a year. We had a big one in 2017," she said.

"With climate change, we're expecting more and more [floods]."

A region under water

Sainte-Émélie-de-l'Énergie Mayor Martin Héroux said about 30 residents were able to return to their homes today while about 100 remain isolated —and without electricity — because of the flooding on main roads. 

"We are all at the church if you need some help. If you're in danger, call 911."

Caroline Proulx, the MNA for Berthier in the Lanaudière region, said 19 municipalities in the region have been affected, with 41 roads fully or partially closed.

Elsewhere in the region, Saint-Côme Mayor Martin Bordeleau said on Tuesday morning the Rivière L'Assomption water level had decreased by 30 centimetres since the flooding. 

"Yesterday we were more in survival mode, with all the roads being cut off and trying to prevent it from getting worse. But today, our teams are on the ground and are in solutions and repair mode," he told Radio-Canada's Tout un matin program.

ECCC rainfall warnings remain in effect for Charlevoix, Saguenay and the North Shore, but Bordeleau said he believes the worst is behind his municipality. 

Massive torrent seen at waterfall in Rawdon, Que.

2 years ago

Duration 0:52

As rivers swelled across southern Quebec, cell phone video captured water rushing down Dorwin Falls northeast of Montreal.

About a dozen people in Saint-Côme have yet to return to their home after Monday's evacuations, he said.

Raymond Rougeau, the mayor for the town of Rawdon in Lanaudière, said the situation there has stabilized after two roads — Vincent-Massey and Lac-Morgan — were flooded.

"It's been chaotic. All night, I had my phone on in case something was going on," he said on CBC Montreal's Daybreak.

Rougeau said he will be closely monitoring water levels in the coming days to determine whether it is necessary to put in place additional measures. 

Environment and Climate Change Canada is forecasting 30 to 50 millimetres of rain in the Lanaudière region until Wednesday, with a risk of thunderstorms.

"We'll see if that's going to complicate things again, but our services are on the ground," he said.