Montreal area deals with flooding, street closures and power outages
Montreal is recovering from a series of "near-stationary thunderstorms" that dumped between 100 and 150 millimetres of rain Saturday, according to Environment Canada.
Streets and basements flooded in several parts of the West Island, notably in the Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough and Dollard-des-Ormeaux. Emergency crews worked all evening to aid residents, in some cases freeing them from vehicles trapped in flooded streets.
Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough Mayor Jim Beis, who is also responsible for security and prevention with the City of Montreal's executive committee, said houses that had never experienced flooding before were affected.
"The stormwater drainage systems do not have the capacity to receive or accept that quantity of water during that period," he said Sunday morning. "The system worked but it didn't work for the quantity of water we received."
According to Radio-Canada, the 911 service logged over 600 calls Saturday evening.
The storm also led to some 20,000 residences losing power, mostly in the Dollard-des-Ormeaux area. Hydro-Québec says many of those cases were preventative at the request of emergency services. Just before 8 a.m. Sunday, about 7,500 clients were still without power.
Environment Canada says it's still processing Saturday's data but expects similar conditions will impact southern Quebec and the greater Montreal area on Sunday with a potential for heavy rain locally.
On Saturday, an Urgences-Santé spokesperson said a few residents were evaluated for symptoms of hypothermia, but none had been transported to the hospital as of 8:20 p.m.
The City of Montreal website says several municipal buildings in Pierrefonds were closed Saturday due to flooding and will remain closed on Sunday to allow for cleaning operations.
The affected buildings include the library, cultural centre, the Marcel Morin community centre and the Versailles pool.
Flooded basements
Natasha Krauza, who lives in Dollard-des-Ormeaux — an on-island suburb — told CBC, she is stranded in her home.
Krauza, said she watched the rain come down and could see the water level rising on the street in front of her house before she went to check her basement.
"I'm in about three feet of water," she said, adding her backyard has turned into a swimming pool.
Natasha Krauza's basement, in her Dollard-des-Ormeaux home flooded on Saturday after a heavy downpour. This isn't the first time her home was flooded. (Courtesy of Natasha Krauza)
"I can't get out of my home."
After flooding in 2024, Krauza said she installed a sump pump and thought she'd done everything right.
"We did everything we were supposed to and now this time is worse than the last time," she said.
City officials in Dollard-des-Ormeaux said in a Facebook post that teams have been mobilized to to monitor the situation, respond to calls, and assist residents in the most affected areas.
To avoid the risk of basement flooding the city said people should limit their use of water until further notice. Those who already have water in their homes are being asked to shut off the power if safe to do so.
Air travel impacted
The weather system is also affecting Montreal's Trudeau airport.
In a publication on X, airport officials said thunderstorms and severe weather conditions in the metropolitan area were impacting flight schedules, ground operations and baggage delivery.
A flooded basement on Hertel Street in Pierrefonds shows knee-deep water. (Kwabena Oduro/CBC News)
"Passengers with flights scheduled to depart from YUL are advised to check their flight schedule before heading to the airport," the post reads.
Some municipalities in the Montérégie are also reporting flooding, including Saint-Constant and Saint-Mathieu.
The latter has opened a shelter at the Saint-Mathieu community centre for residents who might need a place to stay including overnight. Residents can bring personal belongings and sleeping bags if needed.
Several parts of the province remained under severe thunderstorm watches or warnings Saturday evening, as per Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Thumbnail courtesy of Kwabena Oduro/CBC.
The story was originally written by Annabelle Olivier and published for CBC News.