By Robert Frank
www.thesuburban.com
The worst is over, Laval Police Const. Nathalie Lorrain told The Suburban.
“There is still a lot of snow that remains to melt in the Outaouais River basin that is still keeping the river level high, but it is not expected to rise anymore,” she said in an interview. “Since the ice is gone, we are no longer concerned that it could block the river.”
“We have closed the emergency flood coordination centre,” Const. Lorrain continued. “Daily patrols will continue to ensure that water levels are not causing any problems, barriers remain in place and some streets are still closed.”
A few low-lying streets along the Mille Îles River in Western Laval that are perennially engulfed remained closed at the end of last week.
“None of it has prevented residents from using their homes,” Const. Lorrain reported.
Riviera Street in Western Laval was inundated at 41st and 43rd avenues, as well as along another shoreline stretch at 49th and 51st avenues, she said. The junction at the end of 8th and 9th avenues in Fabreville also remained closed.
“The water should subside very soon,” she said.
This month’s flood watch was Laval’s second of the year.
In January, Laval emergency preparedness officials kept a close eye on rivers surrounding Île Jésus, after freak weather started to turn them into the equivalent of a giant Sno-cone.
A rapid alternation between deep freeze and balmy weather had turned the rivers that surround the city into a thick, super cooled slushy mix—known as frazil—that could have blocked the current, rather than just freezing on top.
However, flood control measures that included sandbag dykes and a Hydro Quebec amphibious boat that helped keep the channel open near the Pont Viau Bridge, helped to limit flooding to a few isolated spots where the rivers spilled their banks.
