Communities from Quebec to Manitoba are preparing for potential spring flooding, with officials distributing sandbags to protect homes from rising water and warning about possible evacuations. Northwest of Montreal in St-Jérôme, Que., officials closed a bridge to traffic because of the rising Rivière du Nord, which snakes through the city of 80,000 residents. They’ve also distributed more than 2,300 sandbags to people who live by the water. Élisabeth Émond with the St-Jérôme mayor’s office said Thursday that the city is almost certain to see water levels that could cause major flooding. She said officials on Wednesday closed the Viau bridge, because the river had reached the lower part of the span. “As soon as the floodwater reaches the bridge structure, we are required to close access for safety reasons,” Émond…
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