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A series of thunderstorms descended on the island on July 14, 1987, paralyzing streets and trapping motorists on the Décarie Expressway. Sound familiar?
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Montreal was lucky enough to emerge from Thursday afternoon’s thunderstorm unscathed as far as tornadoes are concerned, but there was still a bit of a mess left in its wake.
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The heavy rainfall flooded streets, leaving some Montrealers in less-than-ideal situations.
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Interestingly, the storm hit the city just a day before the anniversary of the Montreal flood — when a series of thunderstorms swept across the island in 1987, paralyzing streets and trapping motorists on the Décarie Expressway.
“All that could be seen of some cars trapped on the expressway just north of Plamondon Ave. was the roof — just barely,” we reported at the time. The water was 3.5 metres deep at its deepest point, near Ferrier St., we said.
Thursday’s storm didn’t cause nearly as much flooding, but there was enough to disrupt traffic.
“Montreal faced another difficult climatic episode,” Mayor Valérie Plante tweeted. “There are significant accumulations of water in certain streets and arteries, as well as in métro stations.”
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Simon Legault, a preparedness meteorologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, said Quebecers shouldn’t be surprised by the extreme weather across the province over the past few months, including forest fires, smog, heat waves, heavy rains and flooding.
In the case of Thursday’s storm, that included tornado watches issued for areas across the province, which were later upgraded to tornado warnings in several regions, including Montreal.
An SQ police car turns away cars stranded on the Décarie expressway after it was flooded following a heavy rainstorm in Montreal on Thursday July 13, 2023. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf /Montreal Gazette
Police turn away cars stranded on the Décarie Expressway after it was flooded in both directions following a heavy rain storm in Montreal on Thursday July 13, 2023. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf /Montreal Gazette
An SQ police officer directs traffic coming the wrong way off an on-ramp onto Décarie Blvd. after the expressway was flooded in a heavy rainstorm in Montreal on Thursday July 13, 2023. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf /Montreal Gazette
Rain pooled at the Fort St. entrance to the Ville-Marie Expressway in Montreal on Thursday July 13, 2023 after severe storms hit the greater Montreal area. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette
Rain pooled at the Fort St. entrance to the Ville-Marie Expressway in Montreal on Thursday July 13, 2023 after severe storms hit the greater Montreal area. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette
Storm clouds looking east over Montreal on Thursday July 13, 2023. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette
Storm clouds looking southwest over Montreal on Thursday July 13, 2023. Photo by Dave Sidaway /Montreal Gazette
Storm clouds make their way across the northern part of Montreal near Marché Central on Thursday July 13, 2023. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf /Montreal Gazette
A man covers himself has best he can while walking around Marché Central on Thursday July 13, 2023. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf /Montreal Gazette
Storm damage from heavy winds at Marché Central on Thursday July 13, 2023. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf /Montreal Gazette
A car got stuck under Highway 15 due to flooding from a heavy rain storm in Montreal on Thursday July 13, 2023. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf /Montreal Gazette
Montreal firefighters look over scene of people waiting near their flooded car at Gince St. under Highway 15 after the underpass flooded following heavy rain storm in Montreal on Thursday July 13, 2023. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf /Montreal Gazette
Montreal firefighters look over scene of people waiting near their flooded car at Gince St. under Highway 15 after the underpass flooded following heavy rain storm in Montreal on Thursday July 13, 2023. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf /Montreal Gazette
People wait on Gince St. under Highway 15 after the underpass flooded following heavy rain storm in Montreal on Thursday July 13, 2023. Photo by Pierre Obendrauf /Montreal Gazette
Storm clouds move across the sky as Environment Canada issued tornado warnings Thursday, July 13, 2023 in Montreal. Photo by Christinne Muschi /The Canadian Press
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“Those are kind of an indication of what the future normal will look like,” he said. “Maybe not next year or in five years, but in a few decades from now, it’s going to be warmer, it’s going to be more intense. That’s what climate change is forecasted to look like: more intense weather events, longer weather events. … Not more unpredictable, but switching more rapidly between those kind of events.”
Since Thursday’s storm took place in 2023, at a time when Twitter exists, we rounded up some tweets that showcase the moments leading up to it as well as its aftermath across the city — relics that can be consulted in another 36 years:
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Do you have cool video or photos from the storm? Send them to online@montrealgazette.com.
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