The municipality of Maria, Que., in the Gaspésie region declared a state of emergency early Saturday afternoon due to strong winds and high tides that could lead to coastal flooding. Residents of des Tournepierres and des Pluviers streets, which are most at risk, were given voluntary evacuation notices. This is the second state of emergency declared in Maria in less than a week. Almost a metre of water accumulated on Rue des Tournepierres due to heavy coastal surges Wednesday. Although people aren't being forced to depart, Maria's mayor, Jean-Claude Landry, is urging residents at risk to leave their properties.
