More Quebec homes evacuated as lakes and rivers rise
Flood threat subsides in areas hit by heavy rain Tuesday
Last Updated: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 | 10:30 AM ET
CBC News
More than 250 permanent and summer homes have been ordered evacuated in the small community of Weedon in Quebec's Eastern Townships as heavy rainfall caused water levels to surge in nearby Lake Louise and its connecting rivers.
The order comes just as flood concerns were subsiding in a number of areas hit by heavy rains Tuesday. Water levels in the Quebec City area, in Central Quebec and in other parts of the Townships were reported stable Wednesday morning.
In the Weedon community centre on Tuesday, resident Pauline Bergeron said she was nervous watching the river rise near her home, and finally left the house to sleep at a local bed and breakfast.
Raymond Burke was getting ready to tow his wife to safety with a paddle boat tied to his kayak when he was visited by a CBC reporter Tuesday.
In western Quebec, authorities in Saint-André-Avellin continue to keep a close eye on the Petite-Nation River.
A wall of sandbags protects the main road there, and 14 homes were evacuated Monday night, bringing to 20 the number of homes evacuated so far.
In Quebec City on Tuesday, basements were flooded and officials issued more than 80 voluntary evacuation notices.
Hundreds of homes in St-Alexis-des-Monts west of Trois-Rivières were cut off from the town when the local lake overflowed its banks.
The rain is now moving to the eastern parts of the province and has already dumped 110 millimetres on Baie Comeau.
