Lanaudière residents scramble to save homes as floodwaters surge
CBC
Johanne Carpentier has been coming to her country home in Sainte-Émélie-de-l'Énergie, Que., for the last 60 years.
It sits on the bank of the Rivière Noire in the Lanaudière region of Quebec — northeast of Montreal — but after days of heavy rainfall, the river has surged into the streets and transformed her home into an island amid the floodwater.
With Carpentier's vehicle blocked off by the hip-deep water, she went to inspect the damage on foot, while her husband ventured on kayak this morning to get the water pump working. Some 30 centimetres of water has accumulated in her cellar, but it could be worse, she said. Her sister, who lives in town, has three times as much water and is unable to leave the house.
The Carpentiers aren't the only ones trudging through rising waters in the region. As parts of several towns and villages, including Saint-Côme, Chertsey and Rawdon continue to deal with floodwater, residents are doing what they can to protect their homes.
Marc-André Forget also calls Sainte-Émélie-de-l'Énergie home, and the river runs right through his backyard.
"I've got eight pumps working right now," said Forget.
After hours upon hours of pumping water out of his house, he can finally see the floor of his basement. Yet, despite being told to evacuate, he's planning to stick around and make sure the pumps are doing their job. What really worries him is that trees around his property will tumble onto his home.
He too said this isn't the first time the river has crept onto his property, and it probably won't be the last.
Carpentier agrees. "When I was younger, there was a flood about every five years, but now it's once a year. We had a big one in 2017," she said.
"With climate change, we're expecting more and more [floods]."
Sainte-Émélie-de-l'Énergie Mayor Martin Héroux said about 30 residents were able to return to their homes today while about 100 remain isolated —and without electricity — because of the flooding on main roads.
"We are all at the church if you need some help. If you're in danger, call 911."
Caroline Proulx, the MNA for Berthier in the Lanaudière region, said 19 municipalities in the region have been affected, with 41 roads fully or partially closed.
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