MONTREAL, May 28 (UPI) -- Quebec Premier Jean Charest urged residents of low-lying southern areas to evacuate Saturday as more rain and flooding loomed in the Canadian province.
At least two more inches of rain is expected in the Richelieu Valley, south of Montreal, by Sunday, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Saturday.
Winds up to 50 mph on Lake Champlain are pushing water down the Richelieu River and raising its levels.
"It is very important we keep in mind that we can fix a house and we can repair them and lose it, but life is something that cannot be replaced," Charest said.
The Canadian military has been helping provincial and local emergency services in the area, which has seen weeks of flooding.
A volunteer group called SOS Richelieu is asking for 5,000 people to come out for a cleanup operation in two weeks.
