Town in southwestern Quebec on alert after flood forces evacuations

Rawdon residents back home after flood evacuations A Quebec town remains on alert after rising river levels triggered evacuations Monday night.

The town of Rawdon in southwestern Quebec remained on alert Tuesday after flooding forced the evacuation of ten homes.

On Monday, a small dam holding back a lake burst in the neighbouring town of Chertsey, sending water rushing toward Rawdon.

“There was a lot of water that was going to be coming down the river, and there was going to be a sudden surge of water. We didn’t know what the effects were going to be and how it would affect the homes,” said Rawdon mayor Raymond Rougeau.

Earlier in the day, rising river levels had already washed out a low-lying road in Rawdon, located about 60 kilometres north of Montreal.

The water receded overnight, allowing all the residents to return home by morning. There was no damage to any homes.

On Tuesday, plenty of water remained on the road, but homes were no longer in danger.

The mayor says the river is not expected to rise again.