On the Quebec side just across the river, roads have been washed away and residents stranded after record rainfall. And the mayor of La Pêche has declared a state of emergency and asked the province for help.
In Val des Monts, Route 307 remains closed between the town hall and Chemin Mathé and several hundred residents are stranded. It will be days if not weeks before these dozens of roads in West Quebec can be fixed. In the meantime, many residents are left unable to get into their homes or out of them
It came with an unexpected fury. Within hours overnight, more than two feet of water poured over roads just outside St Pierre de Wakefield, in some cases, washing the asphalt away.
And leaving the residents in one house surrounded and submerged.
“My basement has about 5 feet of water,” yells the homeowner from across the field, his 3 cars completely submerged, save for their roof, “everything’s flooded here.”
The 307 is closed right now while crews determine whether there is any damage under the asphalt. It's the main route in and out of Val des Monts. Sixteen roads are either closed or washed out and, according to Val Des Monts’ mayor Jacques Laurin, several hundred local residents and cottagers are stranded.
“If this continues,” Laurin said in a telephone interview, “we will declare a state of emergency.
“We got lots of people up there at Lac Grand, Lac MacArthur,” says a resident named Guy, “lots of people and there’s no way out.”
Creeks overflowed their banks and storm water culverts were overwhelmed with the deluge. So too were many residents.
“It’s hell on earth,” Guy added, saying his own basement is flooded.
Residents rushed to the nearby elementary school to collect their kids, stranded at the school as the only road leading out washed away.
“I’m so worried,” says mother Tanya Toste, “they just called me to get my son.”
Crews were scrambling to try to repair roads as quickly as possible, dumping truckloads of stone into the roadway.
“It's only a small municipality,” says resident Francois Meunier, “They try to do their best but with nature, you never know when you try to fix everything so.”
The same situation is happening in areas all around here. The mayor of La Pêche has declared a state of emergency with as many as five roads shut down and flooding everywhere.
Heavy rain washed out the McClinton road bridge and several other roads. The mayor is hoping the province will step in to help.
Meanwhile firefighters stepped in, or actually boated in to help the residents whose house was submerged in water. But after a lengthy discussion, the homeowners decided to stay where they were and wait for the water to recede.
In Gatineau, a mobile park was evacuated earlier today. Since midnight, the city's call centre has received more than 500 calls related to the rain.
