Flood Details - 1990-08-11 - 1990-08-12

General: Heavy rains caused severe flooding overnight in the Hartland and Woodstock areas. Local roads were badly damaged in many locations, forcing the closure of Routes 103, 104, 570 and several other smaller roads. Some road sections were restricted to one lane travel until washouts were repaired. Near Woodstock, there was a major washout of a Route 103 bridge over Lanes Creek. The bridge abutments at Bannon on Route 570 were severely eroded by high flows on Cold Stream. Middle Saint John River Basin: Hartland Area: In Hartland, some basements flooded at the lower end of town, and driveways on Rosedale Avenue were eroded. The Hartland covered bridge was closed for one hour after a washout occurred at the west entrance to the bridge. Some nearby sections of riverbank along the Saint John River were eroded. Some potato fields were damaged by the runoff, which washed potatoes into and down roadside ditches next to the fields. Cold Stream Area: There was extensive flooding in the village of Cold Stream where the road was closed for several hours as water flowed over it, and floodwaters damaged a community hall, a church, and several houses. Eight families in Cold Stream evacuated their homes after a dyke on the Becaguimec River failed. A road near Cold Stream, in hilly terrain, was blocked temporarily by mud, trees, and bushes from a small slope failure on the sidehill. A small dam was washed out on Brummagen Brook, a tributary of the North Becaguimec River. Woodstock Area: In Woodstock, there was extensive flooding in the Slipp subdivision. The shoulders of Slipp Street, Heller Road and Moffatt Street were extensively damaged. Lower Main Street, Heller Road, and Houlton Road were closed for 16 hours, 30 hours, and 23 hours respectively. Many culverts and driveways were washed out, especially along the Grafton airport road. The town manager said flooding near some businesses on Houlton Road was aggravated by overloaded culverts that businesses had installed in what was originally a "deep ditch" system. Southwest of Woodstock, cottages and roads near Kirkland were flooded by high water from Bulls Creek and Eel River. On the morning of August 12, floodwaters from the creek were still over the wooden bridge on Monument Road, inundating nearby camps. In Waterville, north of Woodstock, a house and garage were flooded. Miramichi River Basin: Juniper Area: The rains washed out a section of railroad track below Juniper, causing a train derailment early on August 12. The railroad track and train were back in operation by August 15.

The Fredericton Daily Gleaner reported that 130 mm of rain fell during the rainstorm. Earlier estimates ranged from 100 mm to 200 mm of rainfall over time spans of four to twelve hours. In Houlton, Maine, the weather office recorded rainfalls of 42 mm and 43 mm on August 11 and 12, respectively. Reports indicated the water level in Lanes Creek rose to about three metres above normal during the peak of the storm. Residents could not recall a storm of similar magnitude. The water level in the Saint John River did not rise significantly as a result of the storm.

The preliminary estimates of the damage were placed at $1 million, of which approximately half was borne by the Department of Transportation. Route 104 was re-opened by August 13. It was estimated that the completion of repairs to the Lanes Creek crossing on Route 103 would require at least a month, following an analysis of the required culvert size. Some assistance was given to flood victims by making use of existing social programs.