Spring melt, rains spawn floods in Ottawa, Montreal

By CNN, KXLY Spokane, April 26, 2019

(CNN) - Canadians already deluged by floodwaters in recent days braced for more rain over the weekend as federal and local authorities marshaled resources to help beleaguered residents.

Ottawa and Montreal are on alert as downpours are forecast. Eastern Ontario and western Quebec along the Ottawa River as well as other parts of those provinces have been particularly hit hard by rising waters caused by rain and rapid snow melt.

(...)Ontario Premier Doug Ford was touring Ottawa on Friday, with Canadian media quoting him pointing to climate change as a reason why eastern Ontario is facing heavy flooding for the second time in three years.

(...)Goodale also touched on climate change in his press briefing, saying, "These wild cycles from storms and floods to droughts and wildfires -- that is a very serious national problem; it is a public safety problem, and we all have to work conscientiously together.

"I think we all have to learn the lessons of climate change. The impacts here are powerful and dangerous and damaging, and this is one of the most obvious manifestations of a changing climate. (We have) more unstable weather conditions where you can get precipitation that dumps about a year's worth of moisture in a day or two, and then it all floods and causes enormous damage to private property as well as public infrastructure as well as the economy."

https://www.kxly.com/weather/spring-melt-rains-spawn-floods-in-ottawa-montreal/1072767605

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