State of emergency in Montreal after heavy flooding

Canadian authorities are deploying army after worst flooding in decades hits parts of Quebec province.

More than 2,000 homes have been flooded and 140 towns and cities affected, with authorities urging residents to evacuate before it is too late.
TRT World and Agencies

More than 2,000 homes have been flooded and 140 towns and cities affected, with authorities urging residents to evacuate before it is too late.

A state of emergency has been declared in the Canadian city of Montreal on Sunday afternoon after widespread flooding hit the region.

The Canadian military will deploy about 1,200 troops to help deal with the flooding, local media reported. Quebec Environment Minister David Heurtel described the rainfall as historic.

The state of emergency, which gives firefighters extra resources to battle the flooding, will be in place for 48 hours and the situation will be reviewed afterward.

A combination of torrential rains and runoff from melting snow has caused rivers to overflow their banks from Ottawa to Montreal, posing critical challenges for people already exhausted by weeks of seemingly unending rainfall.

The city of Montreal said in a statement that it would take several days for the situation to get back to normal.

TRT World 's Nafisa Latic reports.

Flooded homes

Across the Canadian province of Quebec, 126 municipalities are now considered part of flood zones, and the number of homes hit by flooding is in the thousands, local media reports said.

In Montreal, the province's most populous city, 221 people have been flooded out of their homes, prompting Mayor Denis Coderre to urge residents to comply with evacuation orders.

More than 1,000 people have been evacuated in Quebec province, the largest number coming from the city of Gatineau, near Ottawa, the province's emergency response unit said.

More than 2,000 homes have been flooded and 140 towns and cities affected, with authorities urging residents to evacuate before it is too late.

In addition to Montreal, eight localities declared states of emergency.

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