QUEBEC CITY, June 19 (UPI) -- More than 1,000 people are expected to participate in the cleanup of Quebec's Richelieu Valley after the flooding, organizers say.
Flash flooding began on Friday in southern Saskatchewan, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported. The community of Yellow Grass received more than 2 inches of water between midnight and 1 p.m. during the pouring rain Friday, and the rain has yet to let up.
SOS Richelieu is an organization created to help the residents of areas affected by the flooding. The goal of the group is to clear sandbags and debris from resident properties. It has also been collecting donations and has received $400,000 in kind, the CBC said, including lunches for volunteers and buses to shuttle volunteers to and from the flood zone.
Once cleanup is done, efforts will shift to focus on repairing and rebuilding thousands of buildings damaged by the flood.
The southern part of Saskatchewan has received 1.5 to 2.3 inches of water within the past 24 hours; 18 communities have declared emergencies this month.
