Gatineau firefighters help with voluntary evacuation
Water levels are expected to rise another 13 to 15 cm
Gatineau firefighters in trucks and inflatable boats began a voluntary evacuation of low-lying streets about 3 a.m. Tuesday after Monday’s heavy rains drove water levels higher.
The water levels were expected to continue rising until Thursday, and the city said its evacuation would likely last for several days. On Tuesday afternoon, the city forecast that levels would rise another 13 to 15 centimetres by the peak, though it cautioned that forecasts are uncertain.
In all, more than 230 homes were subject to the voluntary evacuation, although Gatineau said it was a precautionary measure and residents were not in imminent danger if they stayed home. However, they couldn’t use their vehicles in these areas.
The evacuated areas were the east end of Hurtubise Boulevard with 83 homes, a section of Jacques-Cartier Street, with 42 homes, and Blais, Saint-Louis et René Streets, with a combined 107 homes.
The city reopened a shelter in the Jean-René-Monette Community Centre (89 Jean-René-Monette St.). Later Tuesday it added a second shelter at the Masson-Angers Community Centre (57, chemin de Montréal).
The Red Cross was supplying food and moral support, and the city was running shuttles to and from the centre.
As well, city workers had already delivered 12,000 sandbags at 11 sites.
The following streets and pathways were closed to traffic:
Saint-Louis, between Blais and René; Corriveau; Saint-François-Xavier, between Blais and René; Ernest-Charron; René; Oscar; Blais; Adélard; Jacques-Cartier, between SaintLouis and des Montgolfières;
East end of Hurtubise, from Campeau;
Atawe, after the entrance to Réno-Dépôt to the parking lot of the centre de plein air du LacLeamy; Lac Leamy pathway. The following streets were open to local traffic only:
Saint-Louis, from the ramp to Highway 50 to Blais;
Saint-Louis, from Gréber to Moreau;
Moreau, from Saint-Louis to Pointe- Gatineau; Saint-Sauveur; Saint-Patrice, between SaintSauveur and Riviera;
Glaude, between Saint-Sauveur and Riviera;
Saint-Paul, between Saint-Sauveur and Riviera; Riviera; West end of Hurtubise; Fer-à-Cheval.