In the aftermath of the storm, considerable damage was observed in several regions of Quebec, as many Quebecers testified.
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Obviously, many electrical installations suffered damage, but also trees, houses and vehicles. TVA Nouvelles traveled to the affected regions to take stock of the situation.
Laurentians
The Laurentians region won the palme d’or in terms of power outages. In addition, a lot of damage was observed, particularly in Saint-Jérôme where roofs were torn off, trees shattered and debris blown by the wind.
For Richard Debien, resident of Saint-Jérôme, the storm hit hard like never before on Saturday. “It started to wind very strongly, the trees were lying on the ground. The neighbour’s roof fell off my edge and a large tree fell, taking the electrical wires away. It hit hard. At the height of the storm, the head of my 20-foot birch tree hit the ground,” he explained.
The roadway being obstructed by debris and trees. Residents of affected areas are asked to stay home if they can to allow municipal and Hydro-Quebec workers to do their jobs.
Outaouais
Mother Nature was not kind in the Outaouais, while the storm caused the death of a woman in Gatineau.
Impressive images were also captured in Fassett as the steeple of the church of Saint-Fidèle was literally carried away by the winds.
Lanaudiere
Also hit by an impressive number of breakdowns, the Lanaudière region was the scene of a surprising scene when the roof of a school went upwind.
The roof of the Sainte-Bernadette school in Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes was partly torn off by the winds. The damage is greatest in the gymnasium, but debris and insulation wool were also observed in the schoolyard.
National Capital
Even though there were fewer outages in this sector, the Capitale-Nationale region was not spared by the bad weather.
In total, the authorities of the City of Quebec counted 35 interventions with dangerous structures and 77 interventions of the electrical danger type. Fallen utility poles and uprooted trees accounted for the majority of the damage.
A building in Limoilou was particularly affected. Around 7:15 p.m., several citizens called 911 by neighbors when the roof of the building was torn off.
The building, which includes 72 condos, had to be evacuated. Some of the residents on the first four floors were able to return to their homes. However, the inhabitants of the three highest floors will not be able to return to their homes since water infiltration has invaded the dwellings.
Witnesses to the scene admit to having had moments of anguish when they saw the storm rising and took refuge in the basement.
Another lady interviewed believes that the warning received before the storm started probably saved her life, because it gave her time to take refuge and avoid the worst.
Fire safety services reported no injuries.
Reference-www.journaldemontreal.com