Montreal’s mayor has declared a state of emergency and about 1,200 military troops have been deployed to the city after rising floodwater forced people from their homes. The state of emergency will last for 48 hours, though it could be extended because there are several dikes at risk and the rain is not likely to let up soon.

The emergency was declared late Sunday night after three dikes gave way in the city’s north and spilled water into the nearby towns. As of Monday morning, about 1,900 homes across 130 surrounding neighborhoods and towns were affected. In Rivière des Prairies, a Montreal municipality on the St. Lawrence River, water levels were expected to rise more than 8 inches overnight. Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre called the water levels “historic.”

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