The Montreal region has been put on alert for spring flooding

Water from Vaudreuil Bay inundating the shoreline in Terrasse Vaudreuil during severe flooding back in 2019. The area is under alert once again along with many other sections of Montreal for spring flooding. (Valley Weather File Photo)

Water levels are on the rise around the Island of Montreal, after a week of record-breaking warm weather and rapid snow melt. Just two weeks ago, ice covered many of the rivers and lakes in eastern Ontario and southwestern Quebec, now the ice is gone. The region has been put on alert for the potential for spring flooding over the next couple of weeks.

The gauge at the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue locks Tuesday morning sits at 2.194 metres, within minor flood stage, but well below the record level of 3.33 metres set on May 7, 2017, Still, there are signs water is rising in the community and across neighbouring Ile Perrot and Terrasse-Vaudreuil, both hit hard by flooding in 2017 and again in 2019.

The same is true along Riviere-des-Prairies and Lake of Two Mountains, where several municipalities are already preparing for minor impacts this week. Water is slowly creeping onto the Ile Bizzard and Pierrefonds shorelines. The weather this week will be critical with more rain in the forecast. On Monday 12.8mm of rain fell, for a monthly total of 57.4mm. A few sprinkles are expected today, followed by a the potential for a significant storm this weekend. That storm could giver up to 25mm of rain to southwestern Quebec and eastern Ontario. The weather and the river levels will need to be monitored closely.

Further upstream along the Ottawa River, which was responsible for most of the record flooding in southern Quebec in 2017 and 2019, water levels have stabilized somewhat after rising rapidly last weekend. Rapid snowmelt also occurred last week, with temperatures soaring to 30C in parts of the Ottawa Valley. Ottawa has received 54.9 mm of precipitation so far this month. The gauge at Carillon is currently normal, at 23.77 metres, but slowly on the rise.

Vigilance and preparation are the key words for those living in the typical flood prone areas along the western edge of the Island of Montreal, Ile Perrot, Vaudreuil-Dorion and along the shorelines of both north shore rivers, Rivieres des Milles Iles and des Prairies.