Spring flooding: status report of may 6, 2017

Gatineau, May 6, 2017. – Last night, Ville de Gatineau found that water levels are on the rise in all areas being watched. A rapid rise in water levels has been observed. Gatineau is intensifying its continuous monitoring of the situation. All teams remain on the ground.
The rising water has forced the closure of sections of some main streets. Of note are the complete closure of Saint-Louis Street between De La Gappe Boulevard and the Highway 50 westbound access ramp, as well as the closure of a segment of Notre-Dame Street, between Labrosse Boulevard and Vimy Street.

Status report

●	According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, 90 mm of rain has fallen in the area since May 1, including 40 mm on the day of Friday, May 5.

●	40 to 60 mm of rain is still expected to fall in Gatineau by Sunday.

●	Water levels could therefore still rise in the coming hours and days.

●	Since May 5, at 4 p.m.: - At the Aylmer marina: 7 cm rise - At the Kitchissipi marina in the Gatineau sector: 19 cm rise - At the Bourbonnais ferry ramp in the Masson-Angers sector: 16 cm rise

●	Water levels are nearing the 100-year flooding recurrence rating. - This rating is used to delineate flood land. It marks the flooding limits of land with a 1 over 100 risk (a 1% chance) of occurring every year.

Streets affected by flooding

●	The status of streets closed or affected by flooding could change quickly depending on how the situation unfolds.

●	Patrol officers from Service de police have been deployed to manage traffic. It is important to respect the temporary signage and barricades in place.

●	For the safety of all on the road, motorists are required to follow the directions of patrol officers and signage in place.

●	Before heading out, residents should consult the map of flooded streets on the municipal website.

Main new statuses

●	Local traffic: - St-Louis Street, between Gatineau Avenue and De La Gappe Boulevard - St-André Street, between Saint-Patrice and Saint-Denis streets

●

Closed to traffic: - De La Gappe Boulevard, between St-Louis and Carmen streets - Jacques-Cartier Street, between René and St-Louis streets - Notre-Dame Street, between Labrosse Boulevard and Vimy Street - St-Louis Street, between De La Gappe Boulevard and the Highway 50 ramps - Highway 50 ramp westbound (to downtown)

Press briefing by ministers Stéphanie Vallée and Martin Coiteux

●	At noon today, ministers Stéphanie Vallée and Martin Coiteux will be holding a press briefing in the garages of the Jean-Claude-Charbonneau fire station (315 St-Rédempteur Street, Hull sector).

●	They will be assessing the flooding situation in Gatineau.

●	They will be accompanied by the mayor of Gatineau, Mr. Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin, and local MPs (Chapleau MP, Mr. Marc Carrière, Hull MP, Mrs. Maryse Gaudreault, Papineau MP, Mr. Alexandre Iracà and Pontiac MP, Mr. André Fortin).

Resort to the Canadian Armed Forces

●	A meeting is planned this morning between Bureau régional de la sécurité civile and the Canadian Armed Forces.

●	This preparatory meeting is to determine how the Forces can help in the Outaouais region.

Information session on government financial assistance to the persons and businesses affected by the flood

●	Gatineau received confirmation from the Government of Quebec that the affected residents could be entitled to some forms of compensation.

●	An information session on the government financial assistance available is planned on Wednesday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of Polyvalente Nicolas-Gatineau (360 La Vérendrye Boulevard East).

●	More detail on this will be released when appropriate by ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec.

Volunteers

●	Residents wishing to help fill sandbags should go to Aréna Campeau on May 6 and 7, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. - Aréna Campeau is located at 165 Des Sables Street. - It is recommended to bring a shovel and gloves.

●	Residents do not have to register with 311 to take part in this chore this weekend.

●	For any other form of help, residents should contact the usual community organizations.

●	Gatineau would like to thank volunteers for their involvement!

Sewer back-ups

●	If your home is flooded with sewage contaminated waters, you need to take certain precautions. Visit the webpage on sewer back-ups to learn more.

Statistics and quick facts

Preventive and voluntary evacuations

●	Number of homes visited by firefighters (since May 1): 931 - Firefighters are visiting homes more than once in the majority of cases (up to 5 visits), which brings the total of visits to 3,089.

●	Number of homes evacuated by Service de sécurité incendie: 205

●	Persons evacuated on a voluntary basis by Service de sécurité incendie: 379

●	Persons being looked after by the Red Cross: 309 - Jean-René-Monette: 270 - Masson-Angers: 39 - Number of pets evacuated (registered/looked after): more than 60

●	Homes where gas has been shut off: 152

●	Homes where power has been shut off: 34

Sandbags

●	Number of bags distributed since May 1: close to 111,000

●	Number of sandbags distributed since April 18: more than 186,000

●	Number of bags ready to be filled: 108,200

Information to residents

●	People registered for text alerts: 1,546

●	Visits to the flooding webpage: 37,570 visits (since May 1)

Volunteers

●	On the day of May 4 (Thursday), 2,400 sandbags were filled by volunteers.

●	On the day of May 5 (Friday), 4,900 sandbags were filled by volunteers.

Non-emergency call centre (311)

●	5,852 calls from May 1 to May 5 (11:59 p.m.)

●	38 calls on May 6 since midnight

●	12 employees on duty for every 24-hour period

Sewer backups

●	Number of sewer back-ups reported from May 1 to May 5 (11:59 p.m.): 32

Note

Statistics for this news release were last updated at 5 a.m. on Saturday, May 6, 2017. These are the latest statistics available.

Associated links

Webpage on spring flooding

Webpage on sewer back-ups

– 30 –