Quebec municipalities hit by the remnants of tropical storm Debby say they're looking at months of recovery from a natural disaster that was unlike anything they had seen before.
Damage from tropical storm Debby is shown in St.-Lin-Laurentides, Que., in this Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Mathieu MaisonneuveQuebec municipalities hit by the remnants of tropical storm Debby say they're looking at months of recovery from a natural disaster that was unlike anything they had seen before.
During the worst of the storm Friday evening, Maisonneuve said, 250 people were trapped in their homes because of flooding on the roads. He said at least 100 homes have sustained flood damage, and at least two were destroyed. Emergency services had to carry out several rescues in the area, including a man who disappeared in a kayak but was later found safe, and other people who were trapped in their cars and had to climb onto the roofs of their vehicles.
Bélanger said about 300 homes were temporarily cut off by floodwater on the roads, and about 10 households still don't have road access. "We've seen things before, because we live in a mountainous area. But there's never been anything like this," he said. "It's absolutely abominable." In Montreal, the 175 millimetres of rain shattered the previous single-day record of 102.8 millimetres, set in 1996. It also far exceeded the average quantity of rain for the entire month of August, which is 94.1 millimetres.
Right now, he said, workers are focused on emergency repairs – removing wet walls, flooring and furniture and making sure basements are safe. But he's anticipating there will be wait-lists several months long for renovations. "I don't believe there's enough labour in the market right now to supply all this demand," he said. "There's no way."
On Sunday, Quebec provincial police said they had recovered the body of a man in his 80s who was swept into the Batiscan River on Friday in the province's Mauricie region.
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