Video Shows A Montreal Manhole Cover Blasting Several Metres In The Air

Yikes!

Montreal manhole cover shoots into the air during a storm on Thursday, June 16, 2022.

Montreal manhole cover shoots into the air during a storm on Thursday, June 16, 2022.

Senior Editor

A video posted to the Instagram page @mtlflextv and shared with MTL Blog appears to show a Montreal manhole cover shooting several metres in the air during the severe thunderstorm that swept across the city Thursday afternoon.

The video was taken by Nicolas Albin (@nicolas.albin), 22, at the intersection of boulevard Saint-Joseph Est and rue Saint-André in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough. Albin told MTL Blog the footage was taken at around 4:30 p.m..

In the video, the manhole cover appears to jiggle before rising and spinning in the air atop a plume of water that erupts from the hole. The cover lands on a public garden plot adjacent to the sidewalk on Saint-André.

A pedestrian next to the manhole retreats as it soars. They are seemingly unharmed but completely drenched.

Manhole cover shoots into the air during a storm on Thursday, June 16, 2022.Manhole cover shoots into the air during a storm on Thursday, June 16, 2022.

MTL Blog confirmed Friday morning that the manhole cover was in its proper place.

We reached out to a Plateau-Mont-Royal spokesperson asking if the borough had received a report about the incident or had sent workers to replace the cover. This article will be updated when we receive a response.

Stormdrain overflows on Autoroute 40 in Montreal.Storm drain overflows on Autoroute 40 in Montreal.

Elsewhere in the city, the Thursday afternoon downpour caused roads to flood and storm drains to overflow.

Flooded street in the Montreal borough of Verdun.Flooded street in the Montreal borough of Verdun.

Videos shared with Narcity Québec show flooding at the corner of rues Hickson and Lanouette in Verdun and on Autoroute 40 at the exchange with boulevard l'Acadie.

  • Thomas MacDonald
  • Senior Editor

    Thomas MacDonald was the Senior Editor of MTL Blog. He received a B.A. with honours from McGill University in 2018 and worked as a Writer and Associate Editor before entering his current role. He is proud to lead the MTL Blog team and to provide its readers with the information they need to make the most of their city.

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