‘Worse than the Titanic’: Saint-Jérôme closes bridge as river level rises amid flood concerns

The City of Saint-Jérôme, northwest of Montreal, has closed one of the bridges that crosses the Rivière du Nord due to high water levels.

The Viau Bridge was closed Wednesday evening for “preventative” reasons, the city explained, after the water reached the lower part of the span.

“We have a responsibility to monitor the river very closely so we can act quickly in the event of a disaster. The situation is under control. The flow is particularly strong, but the measures taken, such as closing the Viau Bridge, are preventative. This isn’t the first time we’ve closed this bridge in the spring,” the city wrote in a comment on its Facebook post announcing the closure.

“This action is necessary to ensure the safety of all users.”

The City of Saint-Jérôme says the water level has already breached the minor flood threshold, and the level is expected to rise another 67 per cent by the end of the weekend.

“If it’s 60 per cent more and they’re not doing anything? We’re going to be worse than the Titanic,” a Saint-Jérôme tells CityNews.

“I’ve lived here 10 years and I’ve seen it rise close to the top, but never like this.”

The river flow is forecasted to reach 338 cubic metres per second by Saturday morning, and increase to 371 cubic metres per second by Sunday. The river’s high end flooding threshold is 365 cubic metres per second.

“It could rise to 320-350 metres per second by the end of the week with more rain arriving. So it it rains again, it could create large floods,” said Mayor Rémi Barbeau.

The bridge closure is in effect until further notice, with a detour in place for drivers looking to cross the river. The mayor says the bridge will stay closed until water levels drop and the province gives the green light to reopen.

“Water has risen so high that it the bridge’s structure is directly touching the water,” said Barbeau.

“It wasn’t this fast,” added an area resident. “I did notice in the past week it go up like really high compared to what it usually is.”

The mayor explains that a springtime rise in water levels is typical. But this year, red flags are being raised because it’s happening faster.

“What’s more abnormal is the mix of precipitation and the melting of snow that we’re seeing at the same time, and that’s making the water rise much faster,” he said.

The Saint-Jérôme mayor’s office says officials have distributed more than 2,300 sandbags to residents, and some parks already have pumps.

The province’s Ministry of Public Security – the body responsible for monitoring the Quebec’s river levels – says it’ll know more in about two days if flooding could be expected in the region

“Today and tomorrow another maybe 10 to 20 millimetres of rain,” said Jean Brazeau, the regional director of civil security for the Montreal-Laval and Laurentides-Lanaudière regions. “So this will increase the water level and even the speed of flow of the Riviere du Nord.”

Rain, and more rain

Environment Canada has said parts of southern Quebec had received up to 40 millimetres of rain since the start to the week, and forecasts are calling for more.

The weather agency says southern Quebec from Gatineau to the Lanaudière region is forecast to receive between 10-15 mm of rain today and another 15-30 mm between Saturday and Sunday.

Flood watches are in effect for several rivers across the province, including in the Lanaudière, Outaouais, Laurentians, and Quebec City regions, with minor flooding already reported in some areas.

In addition to the rain, Brazeau says rising water levels are also linked to warm temperatures and an above average snowfall in the Laurentians.

“There is too much variables to put an exact date on the decreasing of the water,” he said.

For now, officials say no homes have been affected yet.

“There is no nearby homes or victim of floods at this time. Is there a risk? Yes.”

The mayor of Saint-Jérôme worries about what this means for the future.

“Unfortunately, this type of situation happens more and more often,” Barbeau said. “We’re seeing climate change and the more cities develop, the more wetlands are destroyed, and the more water ends up in river systems.”

The city of more than 80,000 people is among several municipalities across Quebec preparing for potential flooding because of the spring thaw and persistent rain.

–With files from The Canadian Press