Waters start to recede in Quebec, but officials warn spring flood season not over

People look at the rising waters of the Milles-Iles river in Laval, Que., Tuesday, April 18, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

Quebec's Public Security Department says water levels across the province have started to decline, but warned the spring flood season is not yet over.

The Outaouais region in western Quebec and the Laurentians region northwest of Montreal remain the most affected parts of the province, the department said Sunday. In Outaouais, 23 municipalities have been affected by flooding, while 18 have been affected in the Laurentians.

East of the Laurentians, in the neighbouring Lanaudiere region, 15 municipalities have been affected by flooding, while in the Monteregie region, south and east of Montreal, 10 municipalities have been affected.

"Across the province, the situation is improving very well, given that we've had nice weather, dry weather, and this will continue for several days," Joshua Menard-Suarez, a civil security spokesman at the province's Public Security Department, said Sunday.

"All watercourses are going down."

Dry weather was forecasted to continue in the province until Wednesday.

Some rivers that overflowed returned to their normal courses and have room to accommodate more precipitation without flooding again, Menard-Suarez said in an interview.

Across the province, 88 municipalities have been affected by flooding and 625 people have been forced from their homes.

In Gatineau, Que., the largest city in the Outaouais region, 137 residents are being housed by the Red Cross in hotel rooms after they were forced from their homes.

The city said that while it expects floodwaters to begin receding soon, it asked residents to remain vigilant.

"Even though the situation is encouraging, it remains precarious," the city said in a news release Sunday. "Water levels will remain high for another week or two, and could rise again if there is heavy rain."

-This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2023.