Hundreds evacuated in Saint Raymond and Sherbrooke

CTV Montreal: Flood: Over 600 Evacuated Flooding along the St. Francois River saw more than 600 people evacuated from their homes in Sherbrooke, Nadine Ishak reports.

Some 400 residents of Sherbrooke, Que. are being allowed to cautiously return to their homes after floods forced over 650 people in the town to evacuate.

The Saint Francois River has began receding, after swelling to 25 feet -- just short of the record set in 1982.

In St-Raymond, just west of Quebec City, about 300 people were forced from their homes, including four residences for seniors because of flooding of the Sainte-Anne River.

Those displaced were brought to stay at a variety of high schools, hotels and other community resource facilities in the city of 10,000, which sits 60 km’s northwest of Quebec City.

St-Raymond's downtown and schools were closed until further notice.The same area was flooded twice in 2012, forcing 700 people from their homes.

Authorities in Quebec City said an emergency prepardness plan had been activated, as the water levels of several rivers had reached crisis level.

-- with files from the Canadian Press