Flood Details - 1988-03-25 - 1988-04-09

General: Flooding was relatively minor in March - April 1988. Spring flows were lower due to moderate weather and rainfalls. Winter temperatures were not particularly cold, producing weaker, thinner, river ice. Upper Saint John River Basin: The Deschenes Road in Edmundston was closed due to flooding on March 30 to April 4. Minor flooding occurred in the Wapske area late on April 4 when an ice jam formed by the mouth of the Wapske River. Approximately 600 metres of Route 109 was covered by water, and the water level rose to within about one metre and 0.6 metres of the undersides of the highway and railway bridges, respectively. Nashwaak River Basin: Significant ice jams formed at four locations on the Nashwaak River, but only two caused notable flooding. One ice jam at Nashwaak Bridge forced the closure of Route 107 from March 28 to March 31, and another in the Durham Bridge area caused minor flooding, but no road closures. A large ice jam, situated four kilometres above Stanley, was carefully monitored but did not result in any damage. Nashwaaksis Stream: On March 28, localized flooding of interval and farm land was reported on the Nashwaaksis Stream from three small ice jams along the Royal Road about 1.6 kilometres above the stone bridge. Kennebecasis River Basin: Localized flooding of interval and farm land was reported along the Kennebecasis River at Hampton and Apohoqui, at Smith Creek near Sussex; and on Mill Stream near Norton. Petitcodiac River Basin: Route 880 between Scott Road and Wheaton Settlement, near Petitcodiac, was closed due to flooding from March 28 to at least March 30. Memramcook River Basin: On March 29, some flooding occurred at the junction of Breau Creek Road and Route 106. The road across the marsh, connecting College Bridge and Saint Joseph, also flooded in the vicinity of Ray's Take Out. Miramichi River Basin: The road at Priceville, across from Doaktown, was closed due to flooding on March 31 to April 4.Restigouche River Basin: On the afternoon of April 5, an ice jam formed near Babcock Brook, approximately six kilometres downstream from the mouth of the Upsalquitch River. It extended up the Upsalquitch River a short distance, and considerably further up the Restigouche River, causing some flooding of Wyers Brook Road and cottages near the mouth of the Upsalquitch River. By the morning of April 6, flooding had occurred on low sections of Restigouche River Road between Dawsonville and Flatlands. Aerial reconnaissance revealed the ice jam extended upstream for about 18 km on the Restigouche River. Minor flooding of a few riverside camps occurred along the length of the ice jam on the Restigouche. The ice jam broke on April 9 and dissipated downstream with only very minor flooding in the Tide Head area. On the Quebec side of the Restigouche River, nine families at Runnymeade were isolated from April 6 to April 9 because of the flooding of low-lying sections of the riverside road.

Mild weather began near the end of March, with 20 mm rain falling during the period from March 25 to March 27. In the Cambellton area another 13 mm rain fell from April 2 to April 4.