A major weather system brought heavy rainfall and record temperatures to much of the province on Monday, which caused widespread flooding throughout the Valley as several streams and rivers burst their banks.
As of Tuesday morning, numerous roads, including sections of Route 138 and Route 202 in Godmanchester and Hinchinbrooke, as well as many side roads throughout the region, were closed due to flooding. High waters in the Chateauguay River, Trout River, English River, Black River, and Salmon River as well as many tributaries flooded fields from Dundee to Très-Saint-Sacrement and Saint-Chrysostome.
“The flooding is particularly bad in the Valley and the busses were not able to get to all the homes this morning to pick up our students,” said New Frontiers School Board director general Michael Helm, who confirms the impact of the flooding was limited to students attending Heritage Elementary School and Chateauguay Valley Regional High School. He says in some cases the buses were not able to cross flooded roadways, while some families were not able to bring their children to the end of their laneways due to flood waters encircling their homes. “We are hopeful that the water will recede today and we will be able to resume our normal routes tomorrow,” said Helm.
As of Tuesday evening, flood waters had begun to recede in most areas.
According to Environment Canada, around 85 millimetres of rain fell between Sunday and Monday in the Montreal area, while just over 50 millimetres of rain were recorded in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.