Quebec flooding submerges le Mercier in Montreal

le Mercier offMontreal's West Island issubmerged in waterdue to heavy flooding that began late last night and continued into Wednesday.

About100 Quebec municipalities are affected by flooding,including theOutaouais, Quebec City,Mauricieand theMontrgieregions.The provincial governmentsaid it is offering financial help to residents affected.

More rain is expected for this weekend across Quebec, with up to 55 millimetres expected to fall between Friday and Sunday.

• Everything you need to know about flooding in Montreal

There are evacuations underway on leMercier, asmall island that'shome to about 50 properties and islocated just south of leBizardand north of Pierrefonds.

Wednesday afternoon, the City of Montreal also reported the evacuation of Vermont,Roussin,BarabandJean-Yves streets inleBizard.

The flooding, affecting areasof the island bordering theRiviredes Prairies and the Lake of Two Mountains, comes afterone of the wettest Aprils on record in Quebec.

Streets, basements flooded

Adozen West Island streets are coveredby water several centimetresdeep and anumber of basements also were flooded.

MartinGuilbault, chief of operations for theMontreal Fire Department,said the about 30 residences in the flood zone in Montreal's West Islandhad to be evacuated because water was approaching their fuse boxes.

Pierrefonds resident Mike Markhausertold CBC Montreal's Daybreak thathe woke up to the sound of hissump pump running non-stop around 5 a.m. ET. After checking his pump, he went to his window.

"I opened my blinds and saw my neighbour walking around the street, and when I looked out there, there's a river downour street," said Markhauser, who lives on LegaultStreet.

Markhauser said only a small portionof his property has been flooded and it has not yet reached his home. However, he's watching anxiously as the water continues to crawl closer to his foundation.

He added he is hoping to get sandbags from theborough ofPierrefonds-Roxboro.

Borough's priority to protect homes

DimitriosJim Beis, the mayor of Pierrefonds-Roxboro, said borough employees, firefighters and Montreal police helped residents through the night and will be in the affected areas today.

He added the borough isgiving out sandbags to residents in the affected areas. He estimates they've already given out a couple of thousand sandbags over the last few weeks.

• Pierrefonds-Roxboro workers were ordered to destroy sandbags days before flooding
• Quebec communities brace for more flooding as rain begins in force

Beissaid the priority is to protect residences.

"We're not out there to protect sheds or pools and all that, we're there to protect the homes if we can," he said.

The borough plans to build up dams at the ends of flooded streets and pumpthe water back into the river.

Beis said the speed at which the water spilled onto streets and properties from theRiviredes Prairies caught peopleoff guard.

Pierrefondsresident JadeBlangersaid it only took two hours for the water to completely cover DeGaulleStreet, which is in front of her house.

After she noticed the high water Tuesday night, she tried to move her car, but got stuck. Firefighters then pushed her car to drier land.

"We tried to save everything, I tried to save my car," saidBlanger. "The water is all over the place."

Commandcentres monitoringwater levels

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderresaid the city has opened two command centres one inPierrefonds andthe other inleBizard.

He said an emergency shelter is in place for residents ofle Mercier, which is connected toleBizardby a small bridge.

Montreal officials are alsoclosely monitoringwater levels inAhuntsic-CartiervilleandSainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.

Paola Hawa, the mayor ofSainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, told CBC about 140 homes in that community are at risk from flooding.