Quebec municipalities preparing for flooding, Montreal reaches highest alert level

Municipalities crossways quebec city ar preparing for potentiality flooding, with Montreal reaching the thirdly and final level of alert regarding emergency measures related to flood risks.

Richard Liebmann, chief of Montreal's fire department and co-ordinator of emergency measures, made the announcement during a news briefing Thursday.

He said that, starting Friday morning, a co-ordination centre will be open 24/7 to manage all the measures in place. Up to 25 millimetres of rain are expected by Friday.

Liebmann assured, however, that teams "have already been working for several days."

So far, no flooding has been reported in Montreal.

Workers in Montreal's Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough transported sandbags to Château Pierrefonds Avenue Thursday morning in preparation for building modular dikes over the next 24 hours.

Borough Mayor Jim Beis noted that western Pierrefonds is an at-risk area for flooding. He cited climate change as a factor contributing to residents' anxiety, leaving them "scrambling to try to protect our communities."

"It's almost every year we're faced with a threat or a crisis in terms of flooding. So it's concerning," Beis said.

Jean Brazeau, regional director for the Laurentians and Lanaudière regions for Quebec’s Public Security Ministry, said he expected water levels to rise in nearly all rivers in the Montreal area, including the Rivière des Prairies and Lac des Deux Montagnes.

In Laval, a few streets have been slightly flooded in Fabreville and Laval West, according to Brazeau.

In nearby Terrebonne, Mayor Mathieu Traversy said that the city was prepared for the risk of flooding.

"For now, we have deployed more inspectors to monitor the rising water levels more closely," he said.

Some Quebecers have already been evacuated from their homes.

According to Brazeau, as of 1 p.m. Thursday, around 13 residents in Mont-Tremblant had been affected by flooding, with some evacuations already carried out.

"We think that maybe it's going to get higher to 35 different residents' homes in the near future, maybe for the weekend," he said.

In Lanaudière's Rawdon municipality, about two residents have also been forced to leave their homes due to rising water levels along the Rivière Noire.

Brazeau said Quebec's Public Security Ministry, along with its partners, have set up a co-ordination team to prepare for the floods.

He said municipalities are primarily responsible for responding to flooding, but if they are unable to do so adequately, the team will step in to help.

Several Quebec regions under flood watch, Montreal hits highest alert level

As for the City of Saint-Jérôme, it has closed a bridge over the rushing Rivière du Nord as a safety precaution.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the city said it is closing the Viau Bridge, located on St-Joseph Street, due to the river’s high flow rate.

“Since the water has reached the bridge deck, this intervention is necessary to ensure the safety of all users,” the statement says.

The closure took effect as of 9 p.m. Wednesday and will remain in place until further notice.

A detour plan will be implemented and clearly marked in the area. Residents of Sarto and Perreault streets will be able to travel via St-Faustin Street, the city said.

Saint-Jérôme is about 60 kilometres north of downtown Montreal.

Earlier in the day, the city warned that the Rivière du Nord was rising and would continue to rise through the week.

Saint-Jérôme is encouraging riverside residents to remain vigilant and monitor the situation on the city’s website and Facebook page.

The City of Rigaud, about 60 kilometres west of Montreal, also warned its residents to be on alert about high water levels.

In an advisory on its website, the city said that the threshold for minor flooding had already been reached across all riverfront areas on Thursday afternoon as water levels on the Ottawa River continue to rise.

"The 2026 flood scenario could be comparable to the one observed in 2023," reads the statement.

At the time, hundreds of Quebecers had been evacuated from their homes and several towns had declared states of emergency after torrential rains caused river levels to rise and triggered widespread flooding in the province.

As of 2 p.m. Thursday, the city said though there were no concerns for the Pointe-Fortune area, the situation could change depending on the total amount of rain that falls over the next 48 hours.

On Thursday afternoon, Rigaud residents were invited to pick up sand at the fire station, while a wave barrier was being installed at the Pointe-Séguin boat launch to help break up the waves.

Heavier snowfall in the northern Laurentians, combined with an earlier winter, are now contributing to rising water levels as the snow melts, Brazeau explained.

He added that mild temperatures and rain are worsening the situation — conditions he said officials want to avoid.

And with increasing temperatures, more meltwater is expected to flow from the north into the Ottawa River watershed and could eventually reach Lac des Deux Montagnes and impact the Montreal area.

Brazeau encourages residents to consult their municipalities' social media and websites for more information.

Journalist

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