Severe flooding hits the West Island; over 20,000 without power, roads closed by police

Rue Autumn and Rue Lake in Dollard-des-Ormeaux. (Dan Rick Lang)

Severe flooding has hit the West Island of Montreal, leaving more than 20,000 addresses without power and forcing road closures across the affected areas.

As of 10 p.m., over 20,000 addresses are without power in the Dollard-des-Ormeaux area, according to Hydro-Quebec’s website.

Four roads — Pierrefonds Boulevard, Rue Fredmir, Rue Lavigne and Jacques Bizard — were closed in coordination with municipal authorities, a Montreal police spokesperson told CTV News.

The flooding comes after Environment Canada issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the Greater Montreal area around 1 p.m. The region remains under the watch.

• READ MORE: Montreal under severe thunderstorm watch

There are no reports of injuries. The situation remains ongoing.

Quebec Premier ‘closely monitoring the situation’

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette wrote on Facebook that she is in contact with the Quebec Ministry of Internal Security (MSI) regarding the flooding.

“My team and the teams at Quebec Ministry of Internal Security are in contact with the municipalities affected by the heavy rains, including several in the Roussillon RCM,” she wrote.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and will support residents and municipalities as needed.”

Montreal airport

According to a spokesperson for the YUL Montréal–Trudeau Airport, ground operations on the apron were halted due to weather conditions, but the alert was lifted at around 7:30. p.m.

“It is important to note that to ensure the safety of ground personnel, when lightning is detected within an 8 km radius of an airport, ground operations on the apron are halted,” YUL spokesperson Anne-Sophie Hamel wrote in an email.

“This means that baggage loading and delivery, aircraft fuelling, and catering services must all be suspended.”

About 25 flights were diverted to other airports during this period due to weather conditions.

“Please note that this is a normal procedure when thunderstorm cells are present near an airport. While this is obviously not ideal for passengers, it is a matter of safety,” she wrote.

“These situations cause delays in flight schedules, ground operations, and baggage delivery. Passengers with flights scheduled to depart from YUL are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport.”

Closure of municipal buildings in Pierrefonds-Roxoboro

The Pierrefonds-Roxboro borough announced on its website that Pierrefonds Library, Pierrefonds Cultural Center, Marcel-Morin Community Centre and Versailles Swimming Pool will be closed from Sunday, June 21, until further notice.

“Our road and water main crews are deployed throughout the area to install pumps and clear blocked drains. SPVM public safety officers are also on the roads to ensure the safety of residents and facilitate traffic flow,” the city website reads.

“Despite proactive measures, the stormwater drainage system needs time to absorb and convey this volume of water, which far exceeds the capacity of any stormwater network. Temporary accumulations may therefore be observed in several areas during periods of heavy rainfall.”

The city is advising residents to avoid calling 311, as it is currently experiencing a higher volume of calls due to the situation across the Montreal area. For any emergency, call 911, the city says.

Limit water use: Dorval

The city of Dorval is asking residents to use caution when travelling and avoid areas where water has accumulated.

To reduce the risk of basement backups, officials are asking residents to limit water use as much as possible until further notice.

This includes avoiding showers or baths, postponing the use of washing machines and dishwashers, limiting water use in sinks and avoiding unnecessary flushing toilets, according to the city’s website.