Critical, but stable. That’s how Montreal’s fire chief describes the situation on the island of Montreal.
“It is still critical because the water levels continue to rise but for now, it is under control,” Montreal Fire Chief Bruno Lachance told reporters Monday.
There is major flooding on the Mille Iles River, the Lake of Two Mountains and Rivière des Prairies.
Areas like Pierrefonds and Ile Bizard have been hit particularly hard.
Residents are starting to get tired, but they are thankful that so many volunteers have come out to help.
“When things get hard, people really show up to make sure things get done,” said Pierrefonds resident Cynthia Nugent.
The fire department says in Montreal, there are 250 homes that have been evacuated as a result of recent flooding and 400 families are affected.
Across the province, 1,500 people have been forced from their homes in 146 municipalities.
Nearly 2,500 homes have been affected by rising waters caused by melting snow and rain.
On Monday, Quebec’s public security minister offered a bit of hope.
Martin Coiteux said he expects the water levels to peak sometime between Monday night and Wednesday.
At a meeting on Tuesday, officials at Montreal City Hall will officially ask to extend the state of emergency for another five days.