Homes evacuated in parts of Quebec: Mild weather & rain causing rivers to overflow
Posted March 17, 2025 10:10 am.
Last Updated March 17, 2025 10:54 pm.
The mild weather observed in recent days in certain regions of Quebec, combined with rain in the last few hours, is causing rivers to overflow and flood.
On Monday morning, the most problematic situation was in Beauceville, in Chaudière-Appalaches, due to an overflow of the Chaudière River.
Late Sunday evening, an ice jam formed in the downtown area of the small municipality, causing the river to rapidly rise, causing it to burst its banks.
Plusieurs régions sont touchées par la hausse des niveaux et des débits d'eau des cours d'eau. On dénombre des fermetures de routes et des inondations mineures à différents endroits.
— Urgence Québec (@urgencequebec) March 17, 2025Informez-vous sur l'état du réseau routier dans Québec 511 et auprès de votre municipalité;… pic.twitter.com/CwAIIIEJHl
On social media, many Internet users shared images showing flooded streets along the river.
The Chaudière River Monitoring System issued an alert warning people affected by the flooding to evacuate their homes and businesses. An emergency shelter was opened at the local arena.
Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce : fermeture du pont de la route 276 https://t.co/IErRvUqGSP pic.twitter.com/CrjFk6O3qW
— Beauce Média (@BeauceMedia) March 17, 2025
On Facebook, the City of Beauceville stated that it was “constantly monitoring” the situation.
The Ministry of Public Security classified the Chaudière River flooding in Beauceville as “moderate” Monday morning, but the river was approaching the “major” flood threshold.
Four other “minor” floods were recorded 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 in Saint-Eugène, Ontario.
Nine other rivers were “under flood watch.”
According to the Ministry of Public Security, the peak flooding will be observed on Monday.
“The rising temperatures and rain forecast for this weekend, combined with melting snow, will have an impact on water levels in several regions, particularly on the South Shore of the St. Lawrence River,” a statement posted on Urgence Québec’s Facebook page last Friday.
Québec 511 also urged motorists to be careful when driving near waterways whose levels could cause some streets to flood.
Drummondville residents in flood zones evacuated
Municipal officials in Drummondville, Que., partway between Montreal and Quebec City, asked residents in flood zones to evacuate because of the rising St-François river, which was moving about five times its average speed.
Drummondville Mayor Stéphanie Lacoste said the situation had stabilized by late afternoon. In the evening the municipality’s civil security organization lifted the evacuation notice for flood-prone areas, saying water levels in Drummondville as well as upstream from the community had dropped.
Still, the city urged vigilance. It said patrol teams would continue surveillance of the area overnight and the Sûreté du Québec would maintain a presence on the ground.
Lacoste said municipal workers used heavy equipment last month to try to break up the ice to prevent jamming, but she said the combination of thicker-than-usual ice, a recent near-record snowfall and the warm weather over the weekend created what she called a “favourable cocktail” for flooding.
“Unfortunately, the fact that there was a lot of snow, and that the ice was thick, complicated things a bit,” she said.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
