Flood Details - 2018-01-12 - 2018-01-13

A mix of rain, wind, and unseasonably warm temperatures knocked out power to thousands of residents and caused flooding across the province on the weekend of January 12th and 13th. Over 127 millimeters of rain fell in some parts of the province. Kent County was struck particularly hard, with roads washed away and basements flooded. The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure issued “no travel” advisories for several areas on the evening of the 13th, including Kent County, Westmorland County, the greater Fredericton area, Chipman area, northern York County and Carleton County. In Musquash, about 100 people were evacuated from their homes late in the evening on the 13th due to high water levels at nearby East Branch Dam. More than 100 people went to the Carleton Community Center in Saint John, 30 minutes away from Musquash, where the Red Cross set up a reception centre. The organization said they provided lodging for 87 people in a hotel in Saint John while the rest stayed with family and friends for the night. Water levels remained stable overnight and residents were allowed to return to their homes on the evening of the 14th. There was also a voluntary evacuation for Sussex in the Trout Creek area, though most residents elected to stay in their homes. The evacuation order affected between 80 and 100 people. Emergency crews had to rescue a man who became stranded with his dog in Fredericton Junction. The man’s minivan appeared to have been swept off the road. Another incident occurred in the Hoyt area, after a man drove past a barricade on a flooded road causing his car to be swept off the road by the current, landing it in a pond. On the evening of the 13th, the cable for the Westfield ferry to Grand Bay-Westfield broke, leaving the 15 vehicles on board stranded for six hours. A tugboat was engaged to pull the ferry to the shore however because of the extreme weather conditions a second boat was needed to help pull the ferry in. The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure managed to get passengers to shore by 11:30 p.m. that evening. Gagetown was cut off to the public on the 13th due to a washout along Route 102. A number of residents in the area had water come into their basements, but there was no major damage to the village’s infrastructure.

Environment Canada rainfall totals for January 12th and 13th: Mechanic Settlement: 128.7 mm Bouctouche: 110.6 mm St. Stephen: 89.3 mm Sussex: 62.2 mm Fredericton: 55.7 mm Alma: 52 mm Moncton: 30.7 mm Saint John: 23.6 mm Environment Canada wind gusts: Saint John: 96 km/hr Grand Manan: 74 km/hr Point Lepreau: 70 km/hr

Provincially, the brunt of the infrastructure damage was within the Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton areas. A total of 203 residents in 107 Municipalities and Local Service Districts reported damages, and more than 40 roads and highways in the province were under some sort of restriction, including many that were closed completely. In Lee Settlement, the Magaguadavic River rose five meters leading to a wall of ice being pushed over the riverbank and onto a nearby road, causing some local flooding. Moving ice also caused problems on the nearby Digdeguash River, where it pressed up on the beams beneath the covered bridge at Rollingdam. The bridge was closed to motor vehicles as a precaution. A family living just outside of Sussex in Mill Brook had their basement flooded, revealing an oil leak that forced them to move out for a couple of days. The family of five was helped by the Red Cross with emergency lodging and meals. Midday on the 14th, water began rushing through the deck of Hoyt’s historic covered Bell Bridge. The rising waters and raging waves ripped out boards along the 87-year-old bridge causing gaps for the water to flow through. It was determined that the bridge would have to be demolished and was replaced with a single lane steel bridge. Public Safety estimated approximately $2.3 million in damages.