With another 15 centimeters of water expected to inundate Rigaud over the weekend, Mayor Hans Gruenwald, Jr. said he is worried the worst of the flooding is yet to come.
“Important winds are coming in from the northeast,” he said. “Fifteen centimeters more of water with wind gives us 24 to 30-inch waves which are literally eating away properties at the present time.”
Gruenwald said residents of his town, who have been among the hardest hit by flooding in the province, are receiving help from the Red Cross. He said he does not have exact statistics on the number of people who have been forced from their homes but the Red Cross is helping residents of 80 homes that were evacuated.
“Those people are being lodged, they’re being fed, they have access to psychological support at all levels,” he said. “For people that are involved in this who are of a certain age, we can see the cracks in the system already. They’re getting very, very tired and we’re putting in place everything we can to support these people.”
The mayor urged residents of his town to call authorities with questions and requests for help.
“We are facing a situation where we need professional people down there. We are not in a situation where we are raking lawns and picking up debris. Hopefully, people will get the message and start to react and question themselves.”
On Saturday, the army began deploying troops to Rigaud, as well as Laval, Gatineau and Mauricie. Gruenwald said the city has also received help from neighbouring municipalities and praised the compassion of those who have volunteered time, money and equipment to help out.
“I find that solidarity is overwhelming,” he said. “It’s an important issue, we need volunteers. It proves, in our county, we’re in solidarity.”
The army has been called in to help Quebec flood victims. Read more here.The army has been called in to help Quebec flood victims. Read more here.
