Pontiac flood victims struggling after forced evacuation
Flood victims seeking shelter at the Tim Hortons camp in western Quebec are struggling to cope with the second flood in two years to land on their doorstep.
The Pontiac declared a state of emergency on April 19 as rising waters threatened buildings in the area, then issued mandatory evacuation orders for more than 220 people on Monday.
The municipality's mayor Joanne Labadie said over the weekend about 500 homes may have to be evacuated.
Mary-Jo Lewis and Dave White have been in search of shelter after being forced to leave their Pontiac home.
Their latest stop is at the Tim Horton's camp in Quyon, which opened its door to 108 flood victims this past weekend.
The Tim Hortons camp in Quyon is offering shelter to 108 flood victims in the Pontiac area. (Hallie Cotnam/CBC)
The river is now expected to peak in the Ottawa-Gatineau area on Thursday and Friday, rising as much as 40 centimetres above 2017 levels in Lac Chats, the closest station to Quyon.
"We prepared for a repeat of 2017, we didn't prepare for 2019, Lewis told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning.
'IT'S JUST TOO HEARTBREAKING'
The camp is providing displaced residents from places such as Quyon, Luskville and Bryson with a bed, food and shower facilities.
Despite offers of shelter from friends, the husband and wife chose to seek emergency shelter with their municipality.
Before arriving at the camp Sunday, Lewis spent a night at her daughter's home, a night at a small motel and a night at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Gatineau.
Mary-Jo Lewis from Pontiac was forced to leave her home on April 24 after flood waters seeped into her neighbourhood. (Hallie Cotnam/CBC)
"It's hard to go and stay with other people when you just want to be able to close the door and be by yourself and cry a little," she said.
"You're so distraught that you really need some privacy."
She hasn't gone back to her home since firefighters landed on her door last Wednesday demanding they leave.
Neighbours reported that their home has about 20 to 25 centimetres inches of water on the main floor already, she said.
"We don't want to know anymore," she said.
"I don't think I want to see it until the water is down, we get the all clear to go home and we can start cleaning up. It's just too heartbreaking."
A PLACE OF SUPPORT
Richard Pond, 73, and Deborah Stewart, 67, from Luskville are also staying at the camp.
Their home of 14 years is trapped between the Ottawa River and a small creek and was evacuated last week.
"It was terrifying. I fell apart … I just started crying," said Stewart, who was a victim of the 2017 floods as well.
"It's sad … It's a shame to have it done again," her husband added.
Meals and snacks are provided to flood victims at the Tim Hortons camp in Quyon. (Hallie Cotnam/CBC)
The water level around their home was much worse than in 2017, and they have no idea when they will be able to return, they said.
"To be surrounded by other flood victims feels good," Stewart said.
"They know what I'm going through and I know what they are going through."
Richard Pond, 73, and Deborah Stewart, 67, from Luskville are staying at the Tim Hortons camp in Quyon, which has opened its doors to 108 flood victims. (Hallie Cotnam/CBC)
This story originally appeared on CBC.ca with files from Hallie Cotnam.
