Some Quebec municipalities are grappling with serious flooding

People help push a car out of floodwaters on Rue Saint-Louis in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada on Sunday, April 19, 2026. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Falling temperatures and nice weather are providing some respite for several municipalities dealing with flooding, but the situation remains critical in some areas.

Quebec’s Vigilance network reported on Monday one major flood, eight moderate floods and 26 minor floods across Quebec.

The municipalities of Fort Coulonge and Mansfield-et-Pontefract, in the Outaouais region, appear to be the hardest hit.

In the case of Fort Coulonge, where the Vigilance network reports a major flood, the municipal council declared a state of emergency on Sunday evening, and sandbags have been erected to prevent the Ottawa River from overflowing.

The Rouge Bridge is closed, and the Blanc Bridge is being closely monitored. The municipality reports that cold temperatures and the lack of rain in the forecast should provide some respite. Sandbags are being provided to residents concerned for their property, and citizens are being asked to minimize their water consumption.

Critical situation

Mansfield-et-Pontefract is in what it describes as a critical situation. Seventy homes and holiday cottages have received an evacuation notice, and around 30 others are also due to be notified. Several properties are cut off by the water.

The municipality’s chief executive, Éric Rochon, notes, however, that cooperation is not always easy.

“Some are willing, others less so. At present, we do not perceive an imminent danger, but we strongly recommend evacuation. This is not being very well received because people have developed a fairly strong resilience to this over the years.”

Rochon regrets, however, that the Vigilance network’s forecasts are not accurate for his municipality and that they underestimate water levels.

READ MORE: Water levels could stabilize on the Ottawa River today. Here is the latest on flooding in Ottawa and Gatineau

Stranded in a kayak

In Ripon, the fire chief, Bruno Bédard, reported an unusual incident in an interview with The Canadian Press.

“We have a residence where we evacuated a person yesterday. The person was on their way home in a kayak, but because the situation was no longer safe, we made them leave. Otherwise, the other houses currently in the rest of the area are doing fine. We also have a road that will soon be partially flooded.”

Lac Maskinongé no longer seems as threatening in Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon, in Lanaudière, where the municipality’s deputy chief executive, Maxine Fournier, said that “the worst seems to be over” and that the water level is falling.

No buildings have been evacuated.

Situation in major cities

On Monday, Québec City issued a statement noting that, due to favourable weather forecasts, “water levels are expected to fall. The situation is stabilizing, but municipal teams remain on standby, particularly along the banks of the Saint-Charles, Nelson and Jaune rivers.”

It was noted that over the weekend, 45 homes were cut off, but no evacuations took place. However, nearly a dozen streets are affected, either by complete closure or by partial closure with alternating traffic.

In Montreal, water levels remained stable on Monday.

l’Anse-à-l’Orme Road, in the Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough, remains closed over a stretch of approximately three kilometres.

“Water levels are still high when compared to previous years. That’s why we’re monitoring this closely, but at the same time we’re better prepared than in previous years,” said Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada, adding that the city had been preparing since mid-March and that, having learned from past experience, it had been able to take preventive action.

In Gatineau, Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette and the director of the City’s Civil Protection Office, Denis Doucet, provided an update on the situation on Sunday.

They explained that 164 homes were under observation, but that no one received an evacuation notice. Water levels remain a cause for concern and are under close monitoring.

On Sunday, Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette provided an update on the situation alongside Public Safety Minister Ian Lafrenière.

She assured the public that the situation was under control and that rainfall levels remained “below critical levels.” She did, however, specify that the regions of Québec, Argenteuil, Outaouais and Lanaudière were being monitored more closely.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 20, 2026.