Flood Details - 2015-09-29 - 2015-10-01

A heavy rainfall event occurred September 29th and October 1st that brought more than 150 millimeters of rain to some parts of the province. The storm resulted in the worst road flooding and washouts of 2015, with infrastructure damage occurring in the Miramichi, Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton service districts. Drainage systems became overwhelmed in many places, and there were many reports of localized flooding. In the Belleisle region, bridges collapsed, and culverts were washed away, leaving many residents stranded and cut off. Hoyt, a community 40 kilometers southeast of Fredericton, was among the hardest hit. Residents from 1,900 homes were either stranded or unable to reach their homes when Route 101 collapsed and other roads in the area became flooded. The local fire department handed out over 40 cases of water amid concerns over well water contamination, after some residents noted discoloured water coming out of their taps. The storm and its aftermath resulted in schools in the Anglophone West School District being forced to close on October 1st, including in: Oromocto, Lincoln, Geary, Fredericton Junction, Burton, Gagetown, Cambridge-Narrows, Minto, and Chipman. Belleisle Elementary, Belleisle Regional High School, École Arc-en-Ciel in Oromocto, Riverside Consolidated School and Magnetic Hill School were also closed. Many bus routes had to detour or eliminate parts of their routes due to road closures and washouts when classes resumed. Tragically, the storm was blamed for the death of a 51-year-old man in Berwick on October 1st, who died after a retaining wall collapsed on him at his home. Near Grand Lake, two separate groups of duck hunters had to be rescued by emergency responders after becoming stranded due to rising water. The storm was also linked to more than 10 motor vehicle accidents. Several families living in low lying areas on Cochrane Lane in Welsford had to be rescued by boat in the early morning hours of October 1st, after their homes along the Nerepis River began to flood. Power outages affected more than 5,000 NB Power customers, with the largest cluster of those outages being in Rothesay, Fredericton and Sussex.

Environment Canada rainfall totals for September 29th and 30th: Miramichi: 154.9 mm Sussex: 145.7 mm Fredericton: 142.2 mm St. Stephen: 135.3 mm Saint John: 111.2 mm Moncton: 90.6 mm

More than 50 roads across the province were impacted by flooding; washout or water over the road. Impacts were greatest in the central and southern regions of the province. In January 2016, the New Brunswick Government announced a Disaster Financial Assistance program to help residents and business owners with the costs of replacing necessities and for essential repairs. Eligible applicants could apply to receive up to $120,000 for private homes and $500,000 for small businesses and not-for-profit organizations. The damage to private and public infrastructure was estimated to be more than $15.3 million.