Torrential Rains Turn Montreal Streets Into Rivers, Homes Into Pools
What happened in Montreal this past weekend was nothing short of shocking. In a matter of hours, torrential rain transformed entire neighborhoods into flood zones. We're talking about sudden, aggressive downpours—up to 70 millimetres of rain in some areas—turning driveways, basements, and even streets into full-on waterways. The neighborhood of Saint-Léonard was hit especially hard, where residents like Danielle Mansour stood helpless as the water rose rapidly, flooding homes that had just been renovated.
Imagine finishing a $100,000 kitchen remodel only to have it submerged under six feet of filthy water the very next day. That’s exactly what happened to Danielle’s family. Her sister’s home, like many others on rue de Belmont, was hit in less than an hour. Beautiful new cabinets, furniture, and countless personal belongings now float like debris in the aftermath. And this isn’t an isolated case—dozens of homes in the area faced the same cruel reality.
This wasn't just a freak weather event. It was a storm that revealed a deeper urban issue. The affected area sits in a topographic depression—a natural bowl, essentially—which makes it particularly vulnerable to flooding. Some residents, like a local duplex owner near boulevard Langelier, are fed up after being hit not once, but four times in as many years. Despite installing sump pumps, non-return valves, and even ceramic walls, nothing has been able to stop the water.
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Across Montreal, the impacts were staggering. Over 100,000 Hydro-Québec customers lost power. Flights at Montréal-Trudeau Airport were canceled or delayed. Major highways were underwater and temporarily shut down, including parts of Autoroutes 15, 40, and 25. Emergency crews were deployed in full force to pump water out of flooded basements and to help clear the roads, but even their efforts seemed like a drop in the bucket compared to the scale of destruction.
And it’s not just material damage. Families like that of Mimouna Hdouchi in Ahuntsic, who had just moved in two days before the flood, saw children’s bedrooms and their garage completely destroyed. Their estimated losses are already around $40,000. That’s a huge financial and emotional burden, especially when insurance coverage doesn't keep up.
What’s most heartbreaking is the sense of déjà -vu shared by many residents. Just last year, Montreal suffered extensive flooding due to the remnants of Hurricane Debby. Now, people are asking: how many more times will this happen before something truly changes?
As someone living here, it's hard not to feel anxious. One storm can undo years of savings and effort. We have to start demanding more than apologies and cleanup trucks—we need real urban infrastructure changes, better drainage systems, and an honest conversation about building in flood-prone zones.
Until then, each rainfall could be a gamble. And for thousands of Montrealers, that’s a risk they’re forced to live with—again and again.
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