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MONTREAL — While waters levels have continued to drop in Quebec, the province’s environment minister is warning the situation could deteriorate this weekend because of heavy rain.
David Heurtel says the central Quebec region of Mauricie is expected to bear the brunt of the precipitation.
“We’re looking at considerable rainfall on the weekend,” Heurtel told a news conference Wednesday.
“Depending on the region, we’re talking about 20 to 40 millimetres but in Mauricie the impact will be even greater, so we should expect another tough weekend there.”
Heurtel said the combination of rain, melting snow and rising tides could prove to be damaging.
Meanwhile, Public Security Minister Martin Coiteux told the same news conference that 3,882 residences in the province have now been affected by the recent floods.
Coiteux also said 2,721 people have had to leave their homes and that there have been 126 landslides.
The floods have claimed at least one life in the province — a man whose car ended up in a surging river in the eastern Gaspe region on Sunday. Authorities were to continue searching Wednesday for a two-year-old girl who disappeared in the same incident.
Some 1,730 Canadian Forces troops are helping in the flood effort.
The Canadian Red Cross has set up a relief fund, with the federal government contributing $1 million and the Quebec government $500,000.
