Montreal expected to prolong state of emergency as water levels remain high

Montreal city council voted Friday to extend the city's state of emergency. Go here for the latest.

Montreal Mayor Valrie Plante says the state of emergency covering the island should remain in place as water levels remain high, threateningthe western and northern edges of the city with flooding.

"The situation is stable," shetold Radio-Canada Thursday afternoon, but she said as the risk of dikes being breached continues,it's important that the city retain the ability to act quickly, if necessary.

The state of emergency means Montreal's fire protection servicecontinues to manage the flood response, ensuringthere are teams on the ground to monitor dikes in case they are breached by floodwater.

PierrefondsRoxboroborough Mayor Jim Beis said he asked for the state of emergency to be extended this morning.

"The water hasn't receded yet, and it's still creating a lot of pressure throughout the territory," he said.

He pointed to quick repairs made to a dike in his borough earlier this week, that, if left unattended, could have resulted in the flooding of about 100 homes.

He said he is looking for any and all support until the water recedes.

The state of emergency was put in place on Fridayand was extended until today. City council will hold a special meeting tomorrowto vote on keeping the state of emergency in place.

"We're asking citizens to stay vigilant," saidRosannie Filato, the city's executive committee member responsible for public security.

"Although it looks stable right now, Mother Nature is unpredictable."

Off-island commuters have their bridge back

Some good news for Montreal's flooded West Island: the Galipeault Bridge has reopened.

The bridge, linking the West Island to le Perrot along Highway 20, was closed Saturday as elevated water levels rendered it unsafe.

In a statement, Transports Qubecsaid it does not anticipate the water flowing under the bridge to rise in the coming days.

However, the bridge and other roads could close again if the ministry deems them unsafe.

According to the latest numbers from Quebec's Public Security Ministry, 192homes in Montreal and 337 in Lavalhave flooded.