Parts of Quebec under flood watch, Beauceville streets flooded
Several Quebec communities are under flood watch Monday after mild weather and rain resulted in overflowing rivers and high water levels.
In Beauceville, the streets along the Chaudière River are flooded.
Late Sunday evening, an ice jam formed in the town centre of the municipality, causing the river to rapidly rise and burst its banks.
The river's monitoring team issued an alert at around 7 a.m. warning people affected by the flooding to evacuate their homes and businesses. An emergency shelter has been opened at the local arena.
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Québec 511 also called on motorists to be careful when driving near waterways as their levels could cause some streets to flood.
Ice jams against a stone floodwall in Beauceville, Que., on March 17, 2025. (Submitted to Météo Média by Sébastien Roy/Cool FM Mix 99.7)
On Facebook, the City of Beauceville said it was constantly monitoring the situation.
In Sherbrooke, certain streets are closed to traffic and municipal services are mobilized as the Saint-François River overflowed its banks in the city on Sunday night.
In a statement, the City of Sherbrooke said the river was under "high surveillance" and encourages people to visit its website to follow the situation as it evolves.
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According to local services, the water level reached 5,80 metres on Sunday night under the Aylmer Bridge in downtown Sherbrooke.
A flooded street in Beauceville, Que., on March 17, 2025. (Submitted to Météo Média by Sébastien Roy/Cool FM Mix 99.7)
The following traffic lanes were closed Monday morning in Sherbrooke:
The access ramp leading to Galt Street West and Joffre Bridge on Grandes-Fourches Street South in the city centre.
Little Fork and Reed streets.
Four other minor floods were reported Monday morning: the Bulstrode River in Victoriaville, in Centre-du-Québec; the Eaton River in Cookshire-Eaton, in Estrie; the Nicolet River near Saint-Léonard-d'Aston, in Centre-du-Québec; and the Rigaud River, which has affected Saint-Eugène in Ontario, near the provincial border.
Nine other waterways are being monitored.
The province's security ministry says the peak of the floods will be observed on Monday.
Translated by Hénia Ould-Hammou, based on reporting by Radio-Canada and La Presse canadienne
Thumbnail image credit to Colin Côté-Paulette/Radio-Canada via CBC News.
This article was originally written by and published for CBC News.