Traditional water infrastructure ‘insufficient’ to manage flooding risks, Montreal mayor says

Montreal’s mayor says traditional water infrastructure like sewers are becoming “insufficient,” and the city needs to develop more long-term solutions to prevent heavy rainfall from leading to flooding.

Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada made those comments in Pierrefonds-Roxboro on Monday, as West Island residents continue to clean up following this week’s heavy rains.

“The city needs to invest in infrastructure in certain sectors to ensure we can respond to these rather exceptional events,” Soraya Martinez told a press conference. “We do not have a modelisation of the impact or the risk with 150 or 170 mm of rain.”

“We also need to consider how the city itself can become a giant sponge in every possible way. Because every single drop that falls, we have to make sure it doesn’t create pressure that the water infrastructure systems can’t handle. That’s exactly what we’re going to do today.”

The mayor says the City of Montreal will work with the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), of which she’s the president, to develop flood modelling.

“To see how our networks respond, how the territory responds to what we are experiencing today in order to be able to develop preventative measures, working with the Quebec government and all the municipalities to have a real prevention plan,” she said. “Because once again, traditional infrastructures will not be sufficient to cope with what we experienced this weekend.”

Environment Canada said up to 150 millimetres of rain fell in parts of western Montreal and the South Shore in just a few hours Saturday. Streets and homes in Pierrefonds-Roxboro and Dollard-des-Ormeaux were flooded. The situation had stabilized by late that day.

Montreal police were called in to assist with the flooding response, with officers closing several roads.

READ: Montreal’s West Island assess flood damage after heavy rainfall

Pierrefonds-Roxboro opened a temporary shelter and mobilized volunteers to help vulnerable residents remove belongings from their homes.

“The reality of what we are currently experiencing with climate change is evident and tangible; citizens have truly experienced it with these torrential rains,” said Martinez Ferrada.

“We know very well that these climate changes, as we see, have a significant impact, whether in terms of summer heat, cold, or fluctuating temperatures, and we’re seeing it with our torrential rains.”

Pierrefonds-Roxboro Mayor Jim Beis added, “We have to think outside of the box.” Before saying, “We have to look at sponge parks. We have to look at how do we channel the water into water retention areas?”

Cleanup in Montreal’s West Island was still underway Monday. Furniture and household belongings damaged by stormwater could be seen lining the streets.

As soon as flooding starts, experts advise to remove valuables, then take pictures and videos, but to exercise caution. 

“Make sure the power is turned off so you don’t hurt yourself. Then We’re going to remove the water. And afterwards we’re going to take out all the materials that have been soaked plus about a meter above the waterline. plastic items, metal items, and glass items—can be salvaged. But anything porous—wood, drywall, carpet, and insulation—we have to remove those,” said Sylvain Brosseau, a president of Évaluations Burex.

Brosseau added that scams unfortunately exist and any contractors should be verified by the RBQ and with the homeowner’s insurance provider.

“It started to seep out of the baseboards because everything outside of here is on a raised floor,” said Mike Turbide, a Pierrefonds resident. “The water started coming out of here as well, so this filled up, we have our washer dryer here, and everything is ruined.”

Nimesh Patel, another Pierrefonds resident, added, “It’s very hard; we… we can do nothing. There is no solution for us. We try our best, but I don’t know what to do. 

Shirley Dahan watched as rainfall steadily accumulated on her street in the Montreal suburb of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que., on Saturday before it rushed into her home, leaving about 2.5 metres of water in the basement and garage.

She said her husband briefly became trapped in the garage while checking whether a drain was working properly. Their son managed to pry open the door stuck by rising water, injuring his back and shoulder in the process.

“It was a disaster,” Dahan said Monday.

She said the water receded after a few hours but left behind a mess. 

Dahan’s house was one of roughly 30 on her street affected by flooding after torrential rains swept through Montreal’s West Island and parts of the South Shore over the weekend. The flooding has renewed questions about how cities can prepare for increasingly intense rainfall events and whether existing infrastructure is equipped to handle them.

–With files from The Canadian Press