Flood Details - 1970-02-02 - 1970-02-06

General: Very low temperatures and abnormally low snowfall caused thick and hard ice cover on the rivers and lakes during the winter of 1969/70. From February 2 to the 4th, precipitation upwards of four inches, and unseasonably high temperatures occurred. About 3.7 inches [93.43mm] of rain fell on central New Brunswick, followed by two inches of snow. The Fredericton Weather Office reported two to three inches of rain in eastern New Brunswick and between three and four inches in the western sector. In the southern portion of the Province, including Saint John and Sussex, more than four inches of rain was recorded. In Fredericton, a record rainfall for the month of February of 2.95 inches [approx. 75mm] fell in a 24 hour period. The storm was accompanied by winds gusting as high as 70 miles per hour [113.4km/h]. Following the precipitation, the ice-packed streams started to break up on February 3 or 4th and by the morning of the 5th, ice flows were rushing down the Meduxnekeag, Nashwaak, Oromocto, Keswick, Miramichi and Magaguadavic rivers. Flooding was heavy in most parts of the Province, but particularly within a 50 mile radius of Fredericton where several communities or settlements were completely isolated. Highways sustained considerable damages as well as being impassable for several days at many points. Telephone and power services were also disrupted in several areas. Farmers reported excessive losses of livestock, barns and equipment. Homes and cottages along the rivers were either damaged or lifted from their foundations. The C.N.R. and C.P.R. were plagued with water and ice damage. According to the Department of Public Works, Supplementary Report, 32 major structures were completely destroyed. An additional 124 structures received varying amounts of damage. Saint John River Basin: In the Saint John River Basin, damage occurred at the fish hatchery at Florenceville when a portion of the storage dam was washed out. A small stream near Bristol overflowed and demolished six cabins at a church summer camp. On the Meduxnekeag River, eight miles above Woodstock, floodwaters and ice destroyed two homes and a bridge. In the Keswick River Valley, the interval land was inundated and a bridge at Burtt's Corner was destroyed. In Nashwaaksis, many instances of flooded basements were reported. A bridge on MacFarlane Avenue was submerged and extensive flooding occurred on Brookside Drive. Main Street was flooded in the vicinity of the York Shopping Plaza. Most of the highways in the Fredericton, area were closed due to floodwaters. In Fredericton, many basements were flooded as well as intersections in the low lying areas. Nashwaak River Basin: In the Nashwaak Valley, bridges were destroyed at Marysville and Durham. Several cottages along the Nashwaak River were inundated. In Marysville, basements were flooded near the corner of Bridge and River streets as well as along the north end of Canada Street. Oromocto River Basin: In the Oromocto River Valley, highways and railway washouts occurred. Bridges were washed out at Blissfield, Beaver Dam (South Rusagonis) and at Wirral. Residents of Hoyt were isolated and a number of cattle were lost. The railway bridge at Bailey was damaged by ice. Two families were stranded at North Minto when a bridge over Newcastle Creek was washed out. Other homes in this area had to be vacated when basements were flooded. A bridge in the Salmon River watershed was destroyed near Gaspereau. In Welsford, the water level was reported to have reached heights ten feet above normal, and many homes were flooded. Within the Nerepis River basin, water levels were as much as 20 feet above normal. In Kings County, heavy damage was reported to have occurred to secondary roads and several were closed because of washouts. Kennebecasis River Basin: In Sussex, the Holman Avenue area appeared to be the hardest hit with several homes being surrounded by flood waters. One cellar wall was reported to have collapsed. On the lower side of the Kennebecasis, the water was reported to be "lapping" the Save-Easy building and spreading west to Queen Street. Residents on that portion of Queen Street were reported to be encountering difficulties entering or leaving their homes. On mid-Main Street, water pushed toward business premises and vehicles parked in some areas were moved for safety. On upper Main Street, Kirk Brook overflowed its banks onto residential property. O'Connell Park was reported to be "enjoying one of its periodic baths". At Sussex Corner, water from Trout Creek was reported to have reached the highway in the area of the bridge. At Norton, water was reported to be lapping against some low lying buildings in the village. Saint John Area: In the Saint John area, Marsh Creek overflowed its banks, inundating streets, lawns, pouring into basements and, in some cases, over main floors. About 100 families in the Glen Falls area were affected by the flooding. Miramichi River Basin: In the Miramichi River Basin, damage by water and ice to highways, railway lines and bridges was quite extensive. Along the Southwest Miramichi River, the ice from the Taxis River jammed at McNamee, closing Route 8 at Ludlow. A freight train was also halted there because of water and ice over the tracks. Some homes in the Boiestown area were flooded and residents were forces to evacuate them. The highway was also closed at Porters Cove. Several camps in the area were damaged and, in some instances, were swept from their foundations. At Doaktown, cottages and homes were flooded. Bett's Mill was completely destroyed by ice. The community of Arbeau was reported as being isolated by ice floes piled up to 20 feet high [approx. 6.1m] on the road. In the Cains River area, fishing and summer camps were damaged or destroyed, and at least four families were isolated. At Keenan Siding, a bridge across Morse Brook was washed out. A motorist was later killed at the site of the washout where floodwaters were reported to be 20 feet [approx. 6.1m] deep in a brook which is normally about two feet [0.61m]deep. The bridge at Blackville, over the Southwest Miramichi River, and bridges at Renous and Pineville, over the Renous River, were destroyed as a result of ice jams. Reports suggested that a portion of the Pineville bridge floated downstream and knocked out the Renous bridge. The Quarryville bridge was closed temporarily as water was reported to be flowing over it. On the Northwest Miramichi, a home at Exmoor was isolated and at least seven sports camps were destroyed. One camp, flooded to floor level, was tied in place to prevent it from floating away. Water was reported to be flowing over the Johnson and Red Bank bridges which were severly damaged during the flood. Further upstream, the Wayerton bridge was also damaged. At Lyttleton, on the Little Southwest Miramichi River, two homes were swept off their foundations and severely damaged. The Somers bridge at Lyttleton was damaged during the flood. Ice jammed against the railway bridge at Nelson Junction, resulting in increased flooding in the Nelson area. At Nelson-Miramichi, several residences near the river were evacuated, particularly along Main Street. At Newcastle, a large ice jam occurred at Morrissey Bridge which resulted in extensive flooding from February 3 to the 5th. The top of the jam was reported to be at bridge level, with an estimated thickness of 12 to 15 metres. Two ice breakers, the Tupper and Wolfe, were brought to the area in an attempt to break the ice jam. In the northeast section of town, homes were evacuated on Water and Lower Castle streets. About 25% of the downtown business establishments were flooded, particularly in the Castle and Mitchell streets area. Approximately 50 cars, owned by two automobile dealers near the river, were damaged. The town¿s water supply was polluted and oil tanks situated on the wharf were threatened. Southwestern New Brunswick: In Charlotte County, many basements and secondary roads were inundated. Several bridges were damaged or destroyed. In the Digdeguash River Basin, a bridge was destroyed and the community of Tryon was isolated. At St. Stephen, some flooding occurred on King Street and power was disrupted, affecting about one-third of the town. Magaguadavic River Basin: Bridges were reported to be destroyed at Brockway and Lee Settlement. Further downstream, the area from Second Falls to Bonny River sustained extensive damage from high water levels and ice floes. Ice jams formed just below the bridge at Second Falls, and at Tierney¿s Point. About 16 homes in this area were flooded, affecting 30 to 40 residents. Some houses were pushed off their foundations and destroyed. After the flood, heavy equipment was used to clear ice from about 10 kilometres of road where ice was reported to have been piled to heights of 4.5 to 6 metres. At St. George, several families evacuated their homes because of the flooding.

Saint John River Basin: The maximum daily mean discharge of 179 000 cfs at Mactaquac and maximum stage of 20.6 feet reached at Fredericton are both around the average levels reached during spring freshet. Magaguadavic River Basin: A rainfall of 124 millimetres was recorded in the area. A maximum daily mean discharge of 25 500 cubic feet per second [722 cubic metres per second] was recorded on the Magaguadavic River at Elmcroft. This is the second highest value of daily mean discharge recorded for the period of record. It is exceeded only by the 1923 flood.

Saint John River Basin: Two deaths in the Saint John Basin were attributable to the flood. One at Wirral, Queen's County, was the result of a barn collapsing. The other was a drowning at Nashwaaksis. Miramichi River Basin: One death was attributed to the flood in the Miramichi River Basin, a man was drowned at Keenan Siding when his car plunged into Morse Brook after the bridge had been washed out. The documentation of damages for this flood is very good. A breakdown of the damages to the Public Sector on a Provincial basis is as follows: Replacement Cost Less o/o of Maintenance Highways $1 122 816.62 Bridges $ 2 015 355.00* Hydro Electric Facilities $ 207 375.00 TOTAL $ 3 345 546.62 Up-Grading (additional cost) Highways NIL Bridges $3 741 000.00 Hydro Electric Facilities $12 183.00 TOTAL $ 3 753 183.00 COST ANALYSIS OF DAMAGE TO HYDRO ELECTRIC SYSTEMS Fredericton District $134 635.00 Woodstock District $ 5 648.00 Saint John District $ 4 009.00 Sussex District $ 5 697.00 St. Stephen & St. George Districts $ 21 198.00 Moncton District $ 431.00 Sackville District $ 1 433.00 Chatham District $ 34 324.00 TOTAL $ 207 375.00 Up-Grading of Hydro Electric Facilities TOTAL $12 183 · Costs based on 1972 prices. These cost breakdowns were prepared by Public Works Canada in co-operation with the Province of New Brunswick. Saint John River Basin: For the Saint John River Basin, damage estimates are available for the following: Private Property and Agriculture $ 273 416 Railways ($337 500 to $387 500) $ 360 000 New Brunswick Telephone Company $ 42 850 Town of Marysville (Road Damage) $ 4 027 New Brunswick Electric Power Comm. $ 144 609 Highways $ 759 281 Highway Bridges $ 1 242 360* Alternate Routes $ 474 301* TOTAL $ 3 300 844 * Costs based on 1972 prices. This total cost does not include indirect damages associated with the flood, which were probably quite high due to the great destruction of transportation and communication facilities and public utilities. Nor does it include the emergency costs incurred by volunteer agencies and the army at the time of and shortly following the flood. Almost all the damage reported by the New Brunswick Telephone Company occurred in the Fredericton area. This probably includes the lower Nashwaak River Basin. The more detailed information on damages, which is available for some sectors affected, is as follows: Private Property and Agriculture Damages (Saint John River Basin) Damages in this category are broken down into the categories: agricultural losses (land and crops) and private property losses (houses, barns, furniture and equipment).