Montreal

St. Lawrence overflows onto Quebec City streets following storm

Several roads running beside the St. Lawrence River in Quebec City have flooded following the major storm that swept through the city yesterday and overnight.

​One family evacuated from home

Quebec City firefighters help a driver get out of her car near the St. Lawrence River. (Quebec City fire department/Twitter)

The St. Lawrence River overflowed its banks in Quebec City and across the river, in Lévis, following the major winter storm that swept through southern and central Quebec Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday.

The water rose quickly this morning, flooding Champlain Boulevard in the vicinity of Quebec's Old Port with water and ice.

Police have closed a significant section of Champlain Boulevard, including the area near Dalhousie Street near Quebec City's Old Port. (Martine Côté/Radio-Canada)

The boulevard, a major roadway, is closed between Dalhousie Street near the Old Port and Gilmour Hill. Quebec City police are asking drivers to avoid the area.

No water seeped into the Musée de la Civilisation on Dalhousie Street, however, the museum has been closed for the day.

The owners of some vehicles that had been in a neighbourhood parking lot rushed to the scene to try to get their cars out of the area before it became unnavigable.

Police are telling drivers to avoid Champlain boulevard near Quebec City's old port. Some drivers hurried to remove their vehicles from a parking lot in the area. (Martine Côté/Radio-Canada)

Home evacuated in Montmorency

In the neighbourhood of Montmorency, firefighters are on the scene to deal with flooding near Montmorency Falls and on Sainte-Anne Boulevard in the vicinity of 107th and 108th streets, not far from the bridge leading to Île d'Orléans.

A family had to be evacuated from a home in that area, and the Red Cross is on site, Quebec city firefighters said on twitter.

On the other side of the river, the streets in several neighbourhoods in the city of Lévis are also flooding, including the Chemin du Fleuve near Lévis's city hall.

The banks of the St. Lawrence River have also spilled into the streets of Lévis, on the south shore, directly across from Quebec City. (Claudia Genel / Radio-Canada)

Quebec's Transport Ministry said the flooding is expected to gradually recede.

The ferry running between Quebec city and Lévis has also been cancelled until further notice due to the weather conditions.

Quebec City firefighters pump water out of the Auberge Saint-Antoine on Champlain Boulevard, where the St. Lawrence River has flooded its banks. (Claudia Genel/Radio-Canada)

With files from Radio-Canada