Flood victims in the Saint-Etienne-de-Lauzon neighbourhood of Levis, north of Quebec City, are counting themselves lucky. Water levels that forced the evacuation of 30 houses have receded Tuesday.
READ MORE: Quebec officials on high alert for flooding with rain, spring thaw
Resident Michel Roy said it was one of the worst floods he’s seen. On Monday, he was evacuated from his home, where he’s lived for 37 years.
“Four firefighters came and got me right there,” he said, pointing to his front steps, where the water rose about four and a half feet. He received government aid in the past to lift his house off the ground. It almost wasn’t enough.
READ MORE: Rainfall warning issued for southernwestern Quebec, localized flooding possible
Roy said when the rescue boat arrived, he was already in hip waders. He grabbed his dog Marley and didn’t waste any time getting aboard.
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“Let’s say we had a real good flood,” he said.
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No one was hurt and by Tuesday morning, the water levels had gone down, leaving a muddy mess in its wake — and a lot of work for a team of Levis inspectors.
“The homes are in a zone where there are recurring floods and they are at risk of mold and contamination,” said Gaetan Drouin with the Levis fire department.
Monday saw flooding across the province: 300 homes in Quebec were impacted and 60 homes evacuated.
READ MORE: Hydro-Quebec hopes for no major flooding this spring
However, the public security ministry says the situation is under control and far from the historic flooding levels of 2017.
The city of Levis says it is prepared for more rain, which could make the river levels rise again, but it thinks the worst is behind us.
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