Flood Details - 1978-01-09 - 1978-01-10

Southern New Brunswick was hard hit by gale force winds and high seas. Rising floodwaters were reported to have disrupted all modes of travel, cut electrical and telephone services, and in some cases, completely blocked roads. Lower Saint John River Basin: Several downtown streets in Fredericton and Saint John were impassable because of flood waters. The Courtenay Bay Causeway in Saint John was closed to traffic because of flooding. The bridge at Welsford was reported to be washed out. Near Westfield, about 100 feet [30 m] of track on the C.P. main railway line was also washed out. Southwestern New Brunswick: The unloading ramp for the ferry on Grand Manan Island lost electrical power and was inoperative for 24 hours, as a result of flood damage to a shed on the wharf. Ferry service from the New Brunswick mainland to Grand Manan and Digby was interupted for about a day due to the storm. Southeastern New Brunswick: At Alma, the federal government wharf collapsed and the breakwater was damaged by the high seas and ice. Several basements were also heavily flooded. Several schools throughout the area were closed due to the adverse weather conditions. The wind damages to buildings, power and telephone lines, etc., were also described as being very extensive. Peticodiac River Basin: In the Moncton area, Fox Creek Bridge was inundated by the high water and ice cakes were deposited on the highway. Some businesses adjacent to Hall's Creek, including two major car dealerships, reported heavy flooding. L.M. Price of Moncton reported heavy losses when water, piled up behind the Petitcodiac Causeway, overflowed the banks and onto his fur farm. Flooding also hit many low-lying communities in the Memramcook Valley. The Rocklyn Bridge at Upper Dorchester (848 feet [259 m] long) was destroyed. A washout occurred on the C.N.R. main railway line at Upper Dorchester, disrupting service between Moncton and Nova Scotia. Tantramar River Basin: In the Sackville area, the Tantramar River overflowed its banks and inundated the C.N.R. Station, on Lorne Street. The overflow on the Tantramar Marsh also covered Robson Avenue and the Trans-Canada Highway near the east end of Sackville, forcing its closure. The receding floodwaters left ice floes covering the roads, which were later removed with a grader. A washout occurred to the C.N.R. main railway line at Aulac, and blocks of ice were left stranded on the tracks.

Saint John Area: At Saint John, the tides were reported to have reached 27.9 feet [8.23 m] combined with the winds and rain. The winds were reported to have reached velocities up to 141 kilometres per hour in the Saint John area. The storm was described as the worst since the Ground Hog Gale of two years previous when Saint John was declared a disaster area.

The damage to the breakwater and the costs of replacing the government wharf at Alma was estimated at $250 000. The Rocklyn Bridge, at Upper Dorchester, was described as the second largest covered bridge in the world. The bridge was completely destroyed. Moncton Area: The losses at the Price farm were reported to be 59 mink and 20 foxes of the 600 mink and 225 foxes kept at the farm. He expected to lose more as a result of pneumonia. The high water also damaged some electrical motors and other farm equipment. No other estimates of the flood damage were presented.