Wind gusts reaching as high as 80 km/h wreaked havoc in Montreal on Wednesday, knocking down tress, damaging homes and leaving thousands without power for hours.

Meanwhile, the flood-wearied residents of the Richelieu Valley were battered by those same southerly winds that turned Lake Champlain into a violent, white-capping fury, pushing even more water into the Richelieu River and further extending the misery of residents.

But there was a glimmer of hope for those residents who have been living in the floods for nearly two months, as a benefit concert was held at the Olympia Theatre in Montreal on Wednesday with about 30 acts taking the stage, including Andrée Watters, Roch Voisine, Eric Lapointe and Jonas.

Outside the concert, however, the city was being beaten by the winds.

Hydro-Québec says that at its height Wednesday afternoon, 12,000 clients on the island were without power. By 10 p,m., the number of residences without power still sat at 6,700, while several people across the island were dealing with damages caused by fallen trees.

Beaconsfield's Ann and Dave Britt were among them, as a poplar tree from their neighbour's backyard fell on their newly renovated home and right through their roof.

"Just finished renovations, put on a new roof and (we have to) start all over again," Dave Britt said. "The summer, I think for us, is kind of finished."

Ann Britt was upstairs when she heard the noise.

"It sounded like a tornado," she said, "like the house had just split in two."

She's just glad her elderly mother and no one else were at the back of the house when it happened.

"Thank God no one was hurt," she said, "because our fellows that cut the grass were here and there were about five young boys in the backyard and they had just left when the tree fell down.

The Britts say they repeatedly asked their neighbour to cut the tree down, but he decided to secure it with a large band instead. Complaints to the city were met with a response that the neighbour could not be forced to cut the tree down, the Britts say.

However, despite their frustrations, the Britts do have a good sense of perspective.

"It could be worse," Ann Britt said. "We haven't been living in water for five weeks."