Flood Details - 1994-04-14 - 1994-04-26

General: An ice jam caused a flash flood on the Aroostook River, resulting in two fatalities near Perth-Andover. Ice jams caused major floods on the Aroostook, Tobique, Saint John, Miramchi, and Restigouche rivers. Large areas downstream of Mactaquac, on the Saint John River, were inundated by open water flooding. Minor flooding occurred in Juniper, and on the Nashwaak and Jacquet rivers. Severe ice jams and floods also occurred in Maine and Quebec. Within Quebec, the Eastern Townships and Gaspe Peninsula were affected, particularly the town of Matapedia. Flows in the upper Saint John River Basin began to surge on April 14, and peaked on April 17 after a heavy rain on the night of April 16. Downstream of Mactaquac Dam, floodwaters reached their peak elevations on April 18 and 20 at Fredericton and Jemseg, respectively. The flooding associated with the spring freshet occurred over a shorter time span than normal. Ice jam related floods in the different river basins occurred over a span of about five days. Aroostook River: On the morning of April 16, a large ice jam lodged against the solid ice cover of the Tinker Dam headpond. The jam caused massive flooding in Fort Fairfield, Maine, located three kilometres west of the New Brunswick border. The town evacuated 69 people, some with front-end loaders as floodwaters rose steadily. The county was declared "a disaster area" by the state governor. The floodwaters receded at approximately 23:00 hours, April 16. Shortly after 22:00 hours, April 16, a sudden release of water from an ice jam on the Aroostook River drowned two customs officers approximately one kilometre east of the Maine border. The men were travelling along a low lying section of Tinker Road, located along the south side of the Aroostook River, when it was suddenly inundated by fast rising floodwaters from the broken ice jam. The moving water and ice pushed the vehicle part way into the ditch, eventually submerging it in approximately 0.6 metres of water. The victims left the vehicle in an attempt to reach shore. A third man survived by remaining on top of the submerged vehicle for 45 minutes until rescued by a search team in a boat. The road was closed until April 19. Tobique River: Early on April 17, an ice run destroyed a bridge across the Right Hand Branch Tobique River near Nictau. The ice engulfed the bridge, twisting three supporting steel beams like "pretzels". A Nictau resident said cakes of ice, 1.2 to 1.5 metres thick, littered the banks of the river after the ice moved through. He stated it had "been years since he had seen ice like that". Flooding closed Route 109 between Arthurette and Plaster Rock from April 15 to April 17. The road was inundated where it crossed the Wapske and Odellach rivers. The high water levels and ice damaged numerous camps in the lower sections of the Tobique River. On the morning of April 17, one ice jam was lodged at Reid's Island. On the night of April 15, a camp near St. Almo was badly damaged by floodwaters. The camp was pushed off its foundation, destroying the fireplace, along with much of its contents. The floor of the camp was flooded by 0.9 to 1.2 metres of water. The owners stated it was "the worst flooding in the 30 years they had owned it". Previously, damages were limited to basement flooding. At the nearby Beveridge farm, floodwaters lifted the house from its foundation and toppled barrels in the potato house, causing substantial damage. At the farm, the flooding was the worst since 1976, though some had also occurred in 1993. At Odell, the ball field and other low lying properties were damaged by flooding. Two small camps on the riverbank sustained substantial damage. At Gladwyn, a camp by Route 390 was submerged halfway up the side of the building and moved 30 metres by floodwaters. At Caldwell Brook, wharves by a string of camps were torn apart, and trees were uprooted. The camps were bumped by huge chunks of ice, and one was substantially damaged. Saint John River, Upstream of Grand Falls: A long ice jam formed in the Rivière Verte-Ste. Anne-de-Madawaska area, causing road closures and detours for one to two days. The ice jam dislodged on the afternoon of April 17 when the solid, downstream ice cover began to break up and flow over the Grand Falls Dam. By the afternoon of April 18, all ice jams were cleared and the river was open upstream of Grand Falls. Saint John River, Grand Falls to Beechwood: On April 16, large amounts of ice from the Aroostook River passed through Perth-Andover, forming part of a seven kilometre long ice jam, but it moved in the afternoon before any serious flooding occurred. The jam eventually stopped 19 km downstream of Perth-Andover, at the Irving piers in Upper Kent. Perth-Andover water levels remained higher than normal, and rose and fell unpredictably because of the jam. On the afternoon of April 17, Perth-Andover water levels were increasing to the point where serious flooding would occur, and soon more ice was expected to flow into the jam. The Beechwood Dam, located five kilometres downstream of the Irving piers, shut down its turbines(?) and opened all nine of the large spillway gates to help alleviate the flooding. This seemed to help clear the ice jam and allowed large amounts of ice to pass downstream. Ice, that had passed through the Grand Falls Dam earlier in the day, began to reach the head of the jam at 16:00 hours, but passed over Beechwood Dam without jamming. Route 105 in Lower Perth was closed due to flooding during the afternoon, but re-opened in the evening as water levels dropped. Bumfrow Brook, located just upstream of Beechwood Dam, overflowed its banks on April 17 and flooded the parking lot by the Beechwood Dam gatehouse. Ice and high water levels washed out the parking lot, cutting grooves into the ground several feet deep. High water levels flooded sections of roads near Undine, about 10 km downstream of Grand Falls, from April 15 to April 18. The bridge over Salmon River was closed to traffic on April 18. Saint John River, Beechwood to Mactaquac: On the afternoon of April 14, an ice jam formed just upstream of Stickney. It broke without incident at 17:00 hours, then lodged at Lower Becaguimec Island until April 15. In Hartland, the ice jam caused flooding of portions of lower Main Street near the sewage lagoon. One of the town's fresh water wells was shut down. At 20:00 hours April 14, Route 105 was inundated near Lower Becaguimec Island, forcing spectators to abandon three vehicles trapped by fast rising floodwaters. The vehicles were almost completely submerged until floodwaters receded at about noon on April 15. About one metre of icy debris blocked the road until April 18. In Woodstock, ice in the Saint John River and the Meduxnekeag River began to move on April 15. By April 16, a large ice jam had formed at the mouth of Meduxnekeag River, causing the river to flood Water Street, Centennial Park, and the New Brunswick Community College parking lot. A section of fence at Centennial Park was destroyed. The jam was seven kilometres in length, and threatened the Woodstock pumping station. The ice jam broke late on the afternoon of April 16, and water levels receded. By April 18, the jam had moved downstream of Meductic, and by April 19, it was lodged at Barony, well inside the Mactaquac headpond. The jam had grown to 22 km in length, but was no longer a concern. On the afternoon of April 17, the opening of all nine spillway gates at Beechwood Dam created a surge of water and ice downstream of the dam which caused some flooding. The temporary surge of water, combined with high flows in the river, contributed to the flooding and closure of Route 105 in two locations: at Bristol, and around Buckwheat Brook about three kilometres downstream of Florenceville. The basements of several homes and one business in Bristol were flooded. The sewage lagoons at Bristol and Florenceville, located next to the Saint John River, were closely monitored for any flood related problems. During the night of April 17, the water level at Bristol reached as high as the top of the railway bridge spanning the Shikatehawk Stream. The Florenceville Village Park was flooded from the evening of April 17 to April 18. Saint John River, below Mactaquac: Extensive lowland flooding occurred from Fredericton to Jemseg from April 17 to April 26. The water level at Fredericton peaked at 7.87 metres on April 18, the third highest recorded since 1932. A summary of the magnitude and duration of the high water levels in the lower Saint John River Basin is presented below in Table 1. The high water levels closed the Trans Canada Highway between Fredericton and Youngs Cove Road, and the Post Road between Chipman and Minto. Floodwaters washed over sections of the Trans Canada Highway, inundated roads and fields, and threatened houses in the Maugerville to Jemseg area. Flowing water caused part of the floor to collapse at the Country Pumpkin building in Maugerville, and scoured topsoil from nearby fields. In Fredericton, floodwaters were lapping against the back of the Lord Beaverbrook Hotel, and many of the riverfront parking lots were flooded. Many riverside roads flooded, especially in the Lincoln area. Late on April 17, several homes in the Glasier Road area were flooded, and one family was evacuated from Bourque Lane. A trailer park in Lincoln was also flooded. Nashwaak River Basin: Ice jams caused minor flooding of Route 8 on April 17. Miramichi River Basin: Several houses in a low lying area of Juniper had their basements flooded on April 15. Yards were inundated by runoff from higher areas of the village, and high water levels in the nearby main Southwest Miramichi River were not allowing the area to drain as well as normal. Residents felt a poor storm drainage system and changing land use were contributing factors to a chronic, but worsening, problem. At midday on April 14, a heavy ice jam developed by Hayesville on the main Southwest Miramichi River, approximately 13 km upstream of Boiestown. The jam extended four kilometres upstream and downstream of the community, and caused water levels to rise very quickly in an area with a limited floodplain. Sections of road became impassable within 15 minutes, forcing some people to abandon their vehicles and walk out of the flooded area. Some evacuations required boats and were not completed until 17:00 hours, April 14. A pet dog and cat survived, after being swept away with a front porch as they sat on it. On April 15, the floodwaters had risen a further 0.45 metres, reaching a depth of seven metres. The ice jam broke at 19:30 hours, April 16, and water levels quickly receded. The Hayesville flood forced the evacuation of 46 people from approximately 11 homes and caused severe damage. At Porter Cove, six kilometres downstream of Boiestown, water started flowing across the road on the south side of the bridge on the evening of April 16. On April 17, the road was flooded to a depth of 0.3 metres. The road was impassable for most vehicles until April 18, and sustained damges to the shoulder from washouts. At Priceville, about six kilometres further downstream, an ice jam began to cause flooding of the roads in the area on April 15. On April 16, water and ice flooded roads in several places to a maximum depth of 0.9 metres. Supplies were delivered to some homes by boat until the morning of April 18 when water levels receded sufficiently for vehicles to pass. On April 18, the road leading to the Priceville footbridge remained flooded out to the main road. In Doaktown, a brook overflowed, flooding side streets and parking lots. The basements of several homes and a pharmacy were flooded. Furnaces were damaged and a substantial amount of stock in the pharmacy¿s basement was destroyed. One apartment on Main Street flooded. The road flooded at the mouth of Big Hole Brook, three kilometres upstream of Doaktown, isolating residents west of the crossing. High water levels in both the main Southwest Miramichi River and Big Hole Brook caused the flooding. Boats were used to cross the flooded section until the morning of April 18, when it was passable with four wheel drive vehicles. In Upper Blackville, high water levels caused flooding of the Cains River Road by Arbeau Settlement. The road was flooded on April 15 and the 16th. A large ice jam downstream of Quarryville on April 15 caused water levels to rise over three metres. The Quarryville bridge across the main Southwest Miramichi River was closed when ice threatened the bridge. At times, chunks of ice banged against the bottom chord of the bridge as they slowly passed by. High river banks in the area prevented the ice jam from causing more severe flooding. The Northwest Miramichi overflowed its banks on April 17, flooding fields and the western approach to Johnson Bridge, 2.5 km upstream of Sunny Corner. The bridge was closed until April 18. Many basements were flooded along the river as well. The Little Southwest Miramichi River flooded part of Lyttleton on April 17, after an ice jam formed just downstream of the community. The high water levels inundated the northern approach to Somers Bridge as well as several nearby houses and camps. The water level dropped about 0.6 metres on April 18, and receded further on April 19 when the jam moved further downstream. The flooding closed Somers Bridge, isolating the communities of Lyttleton and Halcomb until Johnson Bridge re-opened on April 18. Nearby, Route 420 at Matthew Settlement was closed as snowmelt from higher areas caused flooding. The floods damaged one camp, destroyed another, and damaged two houses. An aerial survey on April 18 revealed three or four ice jams upstream of Somers Bridge. There were concerns that one of the jams, about four kilometres upstream, could worsen the flooding and possibly endanger the bridge if it broke. Motorists were not permitted in the area of the bridge for part of April 18. A large ice jam formed 20 km upstream of Lyttleton between April 17 and April 18, in a narrow, remote, section of the Little Southwest Miramichi River valley. The river level rose six metres above the typical summer level, flooding a construction trailer used by a nearby research station. The ice jam occurred a short distance downstream of the mouth of Catamaran Brook, increasing brook water levels for approximately one kilometre upstream of its mouth. The ice jam also created a very large pool in the river by scouring out the gravel/cobble substrate of the river bed. The new pool was later measured to be 170 metres long with an average depth of 1.3 metres, and had a surface area of approximately 6000 square metres. The maximum depth was 2.7 metres. The pool became a favorite salmon angling site on the river and holds a considerable number of salmon and other fish species. Restigouche River Basin: On April 16, ice jams on the Restigouche River caused flooding, forcing some residents of the town of Matapedia, Quebec, to evacuate. Severe ice runs and jams occurred on April 17 on the Matapedia River that destroyed or badly damaged four bridges on highways and railways. Also, the highway along the Matapedia valley was flooded in two locations, and the town of Matapedia was severely damaged by the flooding. The town, situated at the confluence of the Matapedia and Restigouche rivers, was affected by ice jams in both rivers. Main Street was inundated by over one metre of water. The flooding cut off all highway links to the town and three neighboring villages, and destroyed the St. Alexis Bridge. One hundred people were evacuated from parts of the town, some using helicopters and boats. Freight and passenger train traffic was interrupted because a railway bridge across Clark¿s Brook, near the town of Matapedia, was moved about eight metres off its foundations by an ice jam. The floodwaters began to recede on the evening of April 17. Ice jams began to cause flooding along the Restigouche River Road in New Brunswick on April 16. By evening, flooding had closed the road to through traffic near Rafting Ground Brook. River levels continued to rise on April 17, flooding the road to greater depths and in more locations. Ice cakes littered the road's surface and a couple of hydro poles were broken, isolating area residents and cutting power to residents of Mann Mountain Settlement. One vehicle was abandoned on a closed section of road by Mann Mountain after ice shifted nearby and the road quickly flooded. Upstream, near the mouth of the Upsalquitch River, the Wyers Brook Road also flooded. Roads were re-opened on April 18 after heavy equipment was brought in to clear the roads of the large ice cakes. On April 17, the Restigouche River flooded low lying areas in Tide Head, closing the bridge at the mouth of Christopher Brook on Route 134 for three hours. In a trailer park at Broadlands, mobile homes and cottages were flooded, and some were swept off their footings. A short distance downstream, a cottage was lifted off its foundation and left precariously close to the river. Flood damage extended from well above Matapedia to below Broadlands. Notheastern New Brunswick: Minor flooding occurred along the Jacquet River on April 18 due to two ice jams. An ice jam on the Charlo River also caused flooding at the bridge near the fish hatchery.

Spring freshet and ice jams. An unusually cold winter formed thicker and stronger ice cover on most rivers. Ice jams and runs during the spring breakup were more severe and widespread than usual. Heavy rains on night of April 16 raised flows in the Saint John River to exceptionally high levels.

Aroostook River: An ice jam caused floodwaters to rise as high as the second floor of some houses on Riverside Avenue in Fort Fairfield, Maine, and the business district was submerged by 2.4 to 3.0 meters of water. The release of water from an ice jam completely inundated a section of the Tinker Road, drowning two men who were in a Jeep Cherokee vehicle when the road flooded. The vehicle was submerged in approximately 0.6 metres of water after it was pushed part way into the ditch. It was reported that the floodwaters by Tinker Road reached a height of 4.6 metres. Tobique River: At the peak of the flood at the mouth of Odellach River, water was flowing over the top of the old railway bridge and the top of the guard rails on Route 109. The road was flooded by about 0.9 metres of water. At Wapske on April 17, the water level was about 0.6 metres below the underside of the railway bridge. Saint John River: During the night of April 17, the water level at Bristol reached the top of the railway bridge spanning the Shikatehawk Stream. In Woodstock on April 16, the ice jam at the mouth of the Meduxnekeag River raised blocks of ice as high as the sides of the railroad bridge. Water Street, Centennial Park, and the New Brunswick Community College parking lot were flooded. The water level at Fredericton peaked at 7.87 metres on April 18. The Fredericton water level was the highest in 15 years, and the third highest recorded since 1932. A summary of the magnitude and duration of the high water levels in the lower Saint John River Basin are presented in Table 1. A summary of the peak flows on the Saint John River and the main Southwest Miramichi River are presented in Table 2. Location Flood Level(m) Period of Flooding Peak Water Level(m) Time of Peak Water Level Fredericton 6.5 07:00 April 17 to 16:00 April 21 7.87 03:33 April 18 Maugerville 5.8 13:00 April 17 to 11:00 April 21 6.43 21:50 April 18 Jemseg 4.3 06:30 April 18 to 08:00 April 26 5.17 02:12 April 20 Oak Point 4.7 Below flood level 4.45 22:01 April 20 Table 1 - April 1994 Flood Water Levels on Lower Saint John River Location Maximum Instantaneous Flow(cubic metres per second) Time of Maximum Instantaneous Flow Maximum Daily Average Flow(cubic metres per second) Date of Maximum Daily Average Flow Fort Kent 4 080 05:30 April 17 Grand Falls 4 650 19:55 April 17 4 050 April 18 East Florenceville 9 270 17:08 April 17 7 450 April 18 Mactaquac 9 380 00:22 April 18 8 610 April 18 Blackville 2 040 19:48 April 17 1 730 April 17 Table 2 - 1994 Peak Flows on the Saint John River and the main Southwest Miramichi River Miramichi River: A 30 year resident of Juniper stated "he had never before seen the level of the main Southwest Miramichi River as high". On April 15, the river was rushing over back yards. The floodwaters in Hayesville reached depths of seven metres. The road was flooded to a depth of approximately 2.4 metres. One of the Hayesville residents stated that "water levels were higher in 1937, but that only one house was located in the flood zone at that time". This information could not be confirmed through other sources. Some residents of the Lyttleton area stated "they had not seen such a damaging flood since February 1970". An ice jam near the mouth of Catamaran Brook on the Little Southwest Miramichi River caused water levels to rise six metres above typical summer levels.

General: The Province processed about 200 flood damage claims totaling $1 847 596 through a joint Federal/Provincial cost sharing arrangement. The New Brunswick Department of Transportation estimated damages of $4 130 000 to the Province's highway system. The total federal payment for 1994 floods was $1 944 488 under the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangement. Aroostook River: Two men drowned on the Tinker Road after being overcome by floodwaters that suddenly inundated their vehicle. On a nearby property, a home, garage and storage shed sustained heavy damages from the flood. One of the buildings was pushed off its foundation by the ice. Flooding in Fort Fairfield, Maine, caused several million dollars damage. Many businesses on Main Street were virtually destroyed.Tobique River: On April 17, an ice run destroyed a bridge across the Right Hand Branch Tobique River, near Nictau. Flooding closed Route #109 between Arthurette and Plaster Rock from April 15 to April 17. The high water levels and ice damaged numerous camps in the lower sections of the river. Saint John River Basin: A small bridge was destroyed by ice and floodwaters on Route #105, by Brooks Bridge, near Limestone. The bridge was about nine metres long and spanned Saunders Brook. Elsewhere in Victoria County, road shoulders were damaged and there were several washouts. In Bristol, the basements of several homes and one business were flooded The ground floor of one house was flooded. In Hartland, the basements of several homes were flooded, and telephone poles were damaged along flooded sections of Route #105. In Woodstock and Perth-Andover, damages were relatively minor. In Woodstock, floods destroyed a section of fence in Centennial Park. Flood damages in Perth-Andover were mostly limited to flooded basements. The school and hospital had prepared for flooding by moving materials from basement storage in advance and damage was minimal. School was canceled for three days. The shoulders of Route 105, just above Perth-Andover, were damaged when floodwaters washed across the old railway tracks. In Jacksonville, located a few kilometres northwest of Woodstock, flooding badly damaged a private road near the Trans Canada Highway. Miramichi River Basin: In Hayesville, the flood destroyed or badly damaged numerous houses, cabins and vehicles, in addition to their contents. In some areas the floodwaters were not stagnant, but were flowing at considerable velocities. The deep, flowing water uprooted three cabins and moved them as much as 37 metres. A house was torn off its foundations and pushed against a nearby house. Most of the foundation under another home collapsed. Floodwaters swept a pick-up truck across the road, collapsed its roof, and left it laying on its side. Other vehicles were submerged, and basements flooded. After the flood, excavation equipment was brought in to Hayesville to move debris and large chunks of ice, up to 1.5 metres thick. The road was badly damaged, and a hydro pole was broken and required replacement. Some residents were considering relocating to areas less vulnerable to flooding. The floods on the Little Southwest Miramichi River at Lyttleton destroyed one camp and damaged another, and damaged two houses. The basement of one home was completely flooded and the residents were forced to evacuate on April 17. Another family voluntarily evacuated their home on April 18. The most badly damaged house in Lyttleton was flooded up to the ground floor, but was unoccupied at the time. Three of its basement walls caved in. A previous flood in 1970 had pushed it from its foundation to the middle of the main road. It had been repaired and moved back to its original location after the 1970 flood. An ice jam near the mouth of Catamaran Brook on the Little Southwest Miramichi River completely flooded a construction trailer used by a nearby research station. The ice jam also created a very large pool which became a favorite salmon angling site on the river, holding considerable numbers of salmon and other fish species. Restigouche River Basin: In Quebec, severe ice runs and jams on the Matapedia River destroyed or badly damaged four bridges on highways and railways. The highway along the Matapedia valley was flooded in two locations, and the town of Matapedia was severely affected by the flooding. The flooding cut off all highway links to the town and three neighboring villages, and destroyed the St. Alexis Bridge. One hundred people were evacuated from parts of the town. Freight and passenger train traffic was interrupted. In New Brunswick, flooding along the Restigouche River damaged mobile homes and cottages, and closed several roads, isolating some residents. Electrical power was cut off to residents of Mann Mountain Settlement after hydro poles were damaged by ice. One vehicle was flooded on a section of road by Mann Mountain. Flood damage extended from Wyers Brook to below Broadlands.