Military Doubling Effort in Richelieu Flooding

Weekend winds prompt heavier flooding along the Richelieu River as another 250 soldiers are sent to help water-weary residents.

Flooding in Quebec's Richelieu region continues at a record pace, as heavy winds over the weekend sent waves crashing into homes along the river's banks. Quebec Premier Jean Charest said another 250 soldiers would be dispatched to help sandbagging efforts along the Richelieu, which flows from Lake Champlain in Vermont to the St. Lawrence River east of Montreal. More than 3,000 homes have now been flooded and about 1,500 people forced from their houses, as the Richelieu's worst flooding continues to batter the scenic communities that dot its shores. Eight-hundred soldiers were deployed to the region at the beginning of May, but when it looked like the water was subsiding all but 250 of them were recalled.