Worst of flooding isn't over, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante warns
'If you feel insecure or you don't feel safe, you should be moving out of your house,' she says
Mayor Valérie Plante is urging residents to be vigilant, as water levels are likely to rise in the Montreal area this weekend.
With more rain in the forecast, Plante said flood levels are likely to reach a new peak.
"This threat is direct and concrete. We need to take this very seriously," she said Thursday.
"If you feel insecure or you don't feel safe, you should be moving out of your house."
Plante said more firefighters and police will be on duty round the clock through the weekend, to ensure everyone's safety.
She urged people to sandbag their homes if they haven't already done so — especially those that were flooded in 2017.
Laval also getting ready
Authorities in Laval also said they anticipate the water will peak on Sunday or Monday.
The water was originally expected to crest today.
The bridge that connects the small Laval island of Île Bigras to Île Jésus, the main island that makes up the City of Laval, was closed to citizens this morning because water levels have made it impassable.
Filling the huge dykes along the side streets in Laval Ouest, near the Rivière-des-Mille-Îles. <a href="https://t.co/0WpjD0hGTw">pic.twitter.com/0WpjD0hGTw</a>
—@eliabbThe bridge is still open to emergency vehicles. A makeshift emergency operations centre, staffed by firefighters and Urgences-Santé technicians, is now open on the island.
Police are patrolling other neighbourhoods in Laval to protect homes evacuated due to flooding from looting.