Residents in the Monteregie are once again on flood alert.
Flood-weary citizens have been told not to remove sandbags from their homes, as rain this week could see the Richelieu River and Lake Champlain spill again.
Up to 60 millimeters of rain could fall on the region by Tuesday.
Last week's sunshine and dry weather helped drop water levels in Lake Champlain by almost 30 centimetres and that of the Richelieu River by about 20 centimetres.
Those levels could climb again if the rainfall exceeds 20 millimetres, said Yvan Leroux, Quebec's public safety coordinator.
Leroux said dry conditions this past week assisted immensely in lowering water levels.
Flood levels may be curbed thanks to the wind -- no wind is currently blowing in from the south and none is forecasted in the next few days.
Eight millimetres of rain fell as of 9 a.m. Saturday.
About 3,000 residents in the Richelieu Valley were evacuated during the flood, and about 50 have returned to their homes.
Leroux said there is assistance in the region.
"We have around 300 people who are in the place… civil security, Surete du Quebec, and health and social services," said Leroux.
Civil security officials are patrolling the area in addition to police and the armed forces.
"(We're loading up sandbags and helping out the population – going on the ground, rolling on the streets – to see what's going on, and just letting people know we're here to help," said Capt. Louis-Karl Hottin of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Residents in need of psychological counselling or physical assistance are urged to call Info-Sante at 8-1-1.
Flood's stinky effects
Flood victim Arthur Billo said he's still dealing with the effects the flood left on his home: dozens of smelly, bloated, dead worms have infested his garage.
"They die, and they swell up and they stink. It was full of them here. It smelled awful in here," said Billo, whose home in Saint-Blaise-sur-Richelieu continues to be surrounded by sandbags, though the flooding has receded.
Disaster spectators
Those living in the flood zone say their roads have been inundated with a new problem: tourists visiting the region to see the damage for themselves.
"There are about 400 families down here, and they all depend on our road, so if there's too many people coming – just to see what's going on – plus them… it's incredible, it's terrible. Stay home. Watch it on TV," said Billo.
With a report from La Presse Canadienne
