Winter storm: the wind complicates the snow removal in eastern Quebec

News 7 January, 2018
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    Saturday, January 6, 2018 20:12

    UPDATE
    Saturday, January 6, 2018 23:05

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    Strong winds and heavy snowfall have once again paralyzed the east of Quebec, and wind complicate the work of snow removal.

    The strong gusts of wind up to 70 km/h made driving conditions difficult. Several sections of route 132 remained closed Saturday afternoon.

    “The last few years that I am here, it is a good one,” says a citizen met by TVA News.

    In Rimouski, the storm has left more than 50 cm of snow. The strong winds make snow removal difficult.

    “We embarked on a phase of loading of snow for over two weeks, day and night, probably 24 hours on 24, seven days a week,” explains the director of public works, Rimouski, Patrick Caron.

    In the Matapédia, the road has made two victims in Saint-Vianney on Saturday morning. A small car was struck in a snow thrower on route 195 for a reason still unknown. Another passenger in the vehicle is in a critical state.

    The bomb weather has not spared the Gaspé peninsula. In Matane, excessive coastal have forced the evacuation of eight residences on Friday.

    “There are many more residences that have been affected, broken by shards of ice, to stone, emphasises the mayor of Matane, Jerome Landry. The water has also flooded several homes in the area of Matane-sur-Mer.”

    The town of Gaspé has also been disrupted by the road closures.

    “It poses a certain problem, particularly for the traders, but also, possibly, for the citizens, there will be delays in deliveries, etc, it is certain”, raises the mayor of Gaspé, Daniel Côté.

    This bomb weather has left traces in all of eastern Quebec. Several days, or even weeks, will be needed to come to the end of all this snow, all the more that other sundries are provided in the course of next week. By then, the bitter cold continues to be felt in the region.