2011 Lake Champlain and Richelieu River Floods

2011 Lake Champlain and Richelieu River Floods
2011 Lake Champlain and Richelieu River Floods
Champlainmap.png
Lake Champlain and the Richelieu River basin
Duration: April 2011 – End June
Fatalities: None
Areas affected:
New York
Quebec (Montérégie)
Vermont

The 2011 Lake Champlain and Richelieu River Floods are a currently ongoing series of water level increases that began during the end of April 2011 and caused a subsequent overflow of the Richelieu River in Canada and Lake Champlain in the United States. The floods have affected about 3,000 homes in Montérégie[1][2] and have caused an estimated six million U.S. dollars of damage in seven counties in the northern area of Vermont.[3][4] Similar damage has been reported in New York State.

In Quebec, the major cities affected by the flooding are Venise-en-Quebec, Noyan, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Henryville, Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix and Sainte-Anne-de-Sabrevois.[5] On May 5, the Canadian Forces were requested to help evacuate residents and build dikes to try to protect areas at risk.

Operation Lotus

Operation Lotus was the name of the military operation to assist citizens in the Montérégie area in response to a formal request from the province of Quebec for assistance, following this natural disaster.[6] The Canadian Forces worked to limit the damage caused by the worst floods to occur in the valley of the Richelieu River and on Lake Champlain over the previous 150 years.[7] Over 650 Canadian soldiers participated at one time or another in Operation Lotus until the 17th of June.[8]

References

  1. ^ (French)Lévesque, Lia; St-Arnaud, Pierre; La Presse canadienne (6 May 2011), L'armée se déploie en Montérégie » selon Jean Charest, La Tribune (Sherbrooke) 
  2. ^ (French) Inondations en Montérégie : l'eau monte encore plus, Radio-Canada, 5 May 2011, http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/Montreal/2011/05/04/003-monteregie-inondations-mercredi.shtml, retrieved 9 May 2011 
  3. ^ Jack Thurston (10 May 2011). "FEMA teams assess Vermont flooding". NECN.com. http://www.necn.com/05/10/11/FEMA-teams-assess-Vermont-flooding/landing_weather.html?blockID=520318&feedID=4211. Retrieved 15 May 2011. 
  4. ^ Sue Minter (13 May 2011). "Lake Champlain flood damage estimates for roads and bridges top $6 million". VTDigger.org. http://vtdigger.org/2011/05/13/lake-champlain-flood-damage-estimates-for-roads-and-bridges-tops-6-million/. Retrieved 15 May 2011. 
  5. ^ (French)"Inondations en Montérégie : l'armée à l'œuvre, Charest sur le terrain". Radio Canada. 5 May 2011. http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/National/2011/05/05/001-inondations-quebec-armee.shtml. Retrieved 13 May 2011. 
  6. ^ "Military aids weary Que. flood victims". CBC News. May 5, 2011. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2011/05/05/quebec-record-flooding-army.html?ref=rss. 
  7. ^ (French)"Inondations en Montérégie : déploiement de l'armée et visite de Jean Charest". May 5, 2011. http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/National/2011/05/05/001-inondations-quebec-armee.shtml. 
  8. ^ "The Government Of Canada And The Canadian Forces Assist Those Affected By Flooding In The Province Of Quebec". May 5, 2011. http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/news-nouvelles-eng.asp?cat=00&id=3767.