Watch out for landslides, warn Quebec public safety officials

Crews begin repairs to a washed-out section of Highway 170 in Rivière-Éternité, Que., Sunday, July 2, 2023. Climate change could lead to more landslides in Quebec, like the one that killed two people on Saturday, said a researcher who studies the phenomenon. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

Quebec authorities are urging residents to be on the lookout for landslides in areas that were particularly hard hit by the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby.

Public safety officials are telling residents to be on the lookout for anomalies that could trigger landslides, including cracks, bulges in a slope, rockfalls and unusual water flow in a slope.

"Torrential rains in many parts of Quebec can cause landslides. Be vigilant," wrote Urgence Québec on social network X on Tuesday afternoon.

Landslides occur most often in clay soil, known as 'loam,' and along water channels.

What to do during a landslide

If a landslide occurs when you're inside a residence, public safety officials recommend taking refuge in the part of the building opposite the landslide, sheltering under a solid piece of furniture and holding on to a secure object until all movement has stopped.

If you're outdoors, move quickly away from the likely path of the landslide, away from banks, trees, power lines and poles.

If your home is damaged by a landslide, you must leave.

Authorities recommend avoiding doing any work that could increase soil instability, such as building an embankment, installing an above-ground pool or storing materials near the top of a slope.

The province declared that 14 municipalities were still in a state of emergency on Monday, following Friday's torrential rains that dumped up to 175 millimeters of rain on Montreal and much of the province.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 13, 2024.