Government of New Brunswick
Maugerville
Lakeville Corner
Grand Falls
Youngs Cove
Jemseg
Gagetown
Chipman
Fredericton
Burton
Sheffield
Heavy rain
Mild Weather
Snowmelt

Affected Areas


Above average snow cover was reported to have existed late in March and early April. The reports for the Saint John River Basin indicated that the water equivalent of this snow cover was 150% above normal, which was the second highest in 25 years of record.The average water equivalent over the Saint John River Basin was approximately 280 millimetres compared to the long-term average of 180 millimetres. The highest water equivalent on record was 320 millimetres in 1963. The spring runoff had been prolonged by low rainfall and cool temperatures during the nights. The Saint John River rose slowly throughout the freshet period. The Saint John River Flood Forecast Centre issued warnings for residents of buildings at lower elevations on Riverside Drive, McMinniman Court and Ross Terrace in Fredericton on April 26. They also advised all residents of low-lying areas to take appropriate measures against flood damage. The New Brunswick Department of Transportation and the Highway Patrol were monitoring the situation along the Trans Canada Highway through the Maugerville-Sheffield area. By April 27, no major flooding had been reported. The water levels were reported to be "lapping" the edge of the Trans Canada Highway at Maugerville and nearing homes in the Riverside Drive area of Fredericton. Due to some flooding on the Jemseg shore.The Gagetown ferry operations were reduced to daylight hours only. On April 30, the Trans Canada Highway was above water in the Maugerville area, however the surrounding farmland was inundated. The rear entrance to the Lord Beaverbrook Hotel in Fredericton was sandbagged as a precautionary measure. A gradual rise in river levels was expected over the next two to three days before peaking. By May 1, several basements in Fredericton were flooded, the Waterloo Row baseball diamond was submerged as well as the Union Street underpass. The underpass was closed to traffic. In Maugerville, the Trans Canada Highway was reported to be awash in the Dutch Drive-In area and below Burton Bridge. Several farms were isolated by the floodwaters but no evacuations were reported. The upper portions of the Saint John River Basin were reported to be 60% clear of snow cover while below Grand Falls the snow patch was largely depleted. On May 2, a section of Route #690, from McGowan¿s Corner to Lakeville Corner, was closed to traffic as the river continued to rise. A section of the Trans Canada Highway from the Princess Margaret Bridge to Jemseg, was also closed to all but local traffic and transports under the supervision of the New Brunswick Highway Patrol. The remaining traffic was re-routed via Route #10 through Chipman to Young¿s Cove. By May 3, most of the tributaries in the upper portion of the Saint John River Basin had peaked and were reported to be receding. The water levels at Maugerville and Fredericton were reported to have remained constant overnight. Route 690 and the Trans Canada Highway remained closed although the floodwaters had receded slightly. The Gagetown Ferry was taken out of service completely. Flood conditions for May 4 were reported to be similar to those on the 3rd. A man drowned when the car he was driving left a flooded section of Route 690 near Lakeville Corner and plunged into deeper water. On May 5, the water levels were reported to be receding on a continual basis. The Trans Canada Highway was reopened to traffic, although motorists were cautioned to be on the outlook for debris on the highway. The threat of additional spring flooding was thought to be over.
The following table shows flood stages at several locations on the Saint John River: Saint John River ¿ Flood Stages 1984* Fredericton Maugerville Jemseg Fort Kent Flood Level** 6.85m/22.5 6.06m/19.9 4.97m/16.3 6.80m/22.3 April 25 5.89m/19.3 5.25m/17.2 4.35m/14.3 5.00m/16.4 April 26 6.49m/21.3 5.67m/18.6 4.55m/14.9 5.91m/19.4 April 27 6.46m/21.2 5.70m/18.8 4.60m/15.4 6.00m/19.7 April 28 6.46m/21.2 5.77m/18.9 4.76m/15.6 6.12m/20.1 April 30 6.61m/21.7 5.95m/19.5 4.88m/16.0 6.52m/21.4 May 1 6.85m/22.5 6.06m/19.9 4.97m/16.3 6.80m/22.3 May 2 6.99m/22.9 6.19m/20.3 5.07m/16.6 7.08m/23.2 May 3 7.12m/23.4 6.28m/20.6 5.17m/17.0 6.60m/21.7 May 4 6.60m/21.7 6.10m/19.8 5.20m/17.0 5.90m/19.3 May 5 6.56m/21.5 5.97m/19.6 5.15m/16.9 5.40m/17.6 * As reported for 7:00 a.m. on date shown ** Levels at which over the bank flooding at the various locations begins to occur.
One life was lost. No estimates of the flood damage were presented.