Heavy Rainfall Batters Montreal: Flash Floods and Highway Closures Leave a Trail of Destruction

A powerful and relentless downpour, a result of the remnants of tropical storm Beryl, unleashed up to 100 millimetres of rain over the greater Montreal area within a short span of time, leaving behind a trail of chaos and destruction.

Environment and Climate Change Canada reported that Montreal experienced its wettest July 10 on record, with heavy rainfall leading to numerous sewer backups, flooded underpasses, and the closure of sections of major highways.

The storm triggered flash flooding in various parts of Montreal, resulting in submerged basements, garages, and workplaces. Kristina Boudaeva, the president of Waff Logistics in St-Laurent, recounted employees having to swim their way out of a flooded warehouse.

On the other hand, Avenue Design, owned by Dino Bonomo, suffered significant losses with 10 inches of water flooding their high-end furniture and interior design store, estimating damages to be around $1 million.

While Quebec City managed to escape the worst of the storm, areas such as the Eastern Townships were pummelled with up to 50 millimetres of rainfall, leading to localized flooding issues. The city also witnessed major highways like Decarie Expressway and Highway 40 being partially shut down during the evening commute.

Regina Zorman, an eyewitness to the flooding from her office building on 7575 Trans-Canada Highway in St-Laurent, described the scene as a parking lot turned into a swimming pool for cars, with vehicles quickly succumbing to rising waters.

Amid the havoc, several closures were implemented, notably the Decarie Expressway and Highway 13 in Lachine. Hydro-Québec, facing power disruptions due to the storm, managed to restore most of the outages, with minimal impact on operations at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.

The heavy rainfall, attributed to the remnants of tropical storm Beryl, marked a challenging day for the region. Following the deluge, Thursday is expected to bring clearer skies and a chance for recovery from the havoc wreaked by nature’s fury.