Saguenay Flood
Encyclopedia
The Saguenay Flood was a series of flash floods that hit the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
region of Quebec
, Canada
, on July 19 and 20, 1996. It was the biggest overland flood in 20th century Canadian history.
Problems started after two weeks of constant rain, which severely engorged soil
s, river
s and reservoirs. The Saguenay region is a geological graben
, which increased the effect of the sudden massive rains of July 19, 1996. In the span of a few hours, eleven inches fell on the region, the equivalent to the amount of rain usually received in a month.
Over eight feet of water ran through parts of Chicoutimi and La Baie
, completely levelling an entire neighbourhood. Over 16,000 people were evacuated. The official death tolls were seven deaths, but other sources (notably Canadian Geographic
) cite ten. Estimates reach CAD $1.5 billion in damages, a cost made greater by the disaster's occurrence at the height of the tourist season. Post-flood enquiries discovered that the network of dikes and dams
protecting the city was poorly maintained. In the end, 488 homes were destroyed, 1,230 damaged and 16,000 people evacuated from the entire area, with ten deaths in the mudslides produced by the incredible rain.
A small white house (referred to in French
as La petite maison blanche, "The little white house") that stood unharmed while torrents of water flowed around it became the symbol of the flood. It has been preserved as a historical park and museum
commemorating the flood, and despite a fire in 2002 remains standing today.
An unexpected effect of the flood was to cover the heavily contaminated sediment
s at the bottom of the Saguenay
and Ha! Ha! Rivers with 10 to 50 cm (3.9 to 19.7 in) of new, relatively clean sediments. Research has shown that the old sediments are no longer a threat to ecosystem
s.
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean is a region in Quebec, Canada. It contains the Saguenay Fjord, the estuary of the Saguenay River, stretching through much of the region...
region of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, on July 19 and 20, 1996. It was the biggest overland flood in 20th century Canadian history.
Problems started after two weeks of constant rain, which severely engorged soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
s, river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s and reservoirs. The Saguenay region is a geological graben
Graben
In geology, a graben is a depressed block of land bordered by parallel faults. Graben is German for ditch. Graben is used for both the singular and plural....
, which increased the effect of the sudden massive rains of July 19, 1996. In the span of a few hours, eleven inches fell on the region, the equivalent to the amount of rain usually received in a month.
Over eight feet of water ran through parts of Chicoutimi and La Baie
La Baie, Quebec
La Baie is a borough of the city of Saguenay, Quebec, located where the Rivière à Mars flows into the Baie des Ha! Ha!, a bay of the Saguenay River. Formerly an independent city, its population in 2006 was 19,639....
, completely levelling an entire neighbourhood. Over 16,000 people were evacuated. The official death tolls were seven deaths, but other sources (notably Canadian Geographic
Canadian Geographic
Canadian Geographic is the bimonthly magazine of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society . It was first published in May 1930 under the name Canadian Geographical Journal. The society's objective was to produce a popular magazine dealing primarily with Canadian geography...
) cite ten. Estimates reach CAD $1.5 billion in damages, a cost made greater by the disaster's occurrence at the height of the tourist season. Post-flood enquiries discovered that the network of dikes and dams
DAMS
Driot-Arnoux Motorsport is a racing team from France, involved in many areas of motorsports. DAMS was founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot and former Formula One driver René Arnoux. It is headquartered near Le Mans, only 2 km from the Bugatti Circuit.- History :The year after its foundation,...
protecting the city was poorly maintained. In the end, 488 homes were destroyed, 1,230 damaged and 16,000 people evacuated from the entire area, with ten deaths in the mudslides produced by the incredible rain.
A small white house (referred to in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
as La petite maison blanche, "The little white house") that stood unharmed while torrents of water flowed around it became the symbol of the flood. It has been preserved as a historical park and museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
commemorating the flood, and despite a fire in 2002 remains standing today.
An unexpected effect of the flood was to cover the heavily contaminated sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
s at the bottom of the Saguenay
Saguenay River
The Saguenay River is a major river of Quebec, Canada.It drains Lac Saint-Jean in the Laurentian Highlands, leaving at Alma and running east, and passes the city of Saguenay. It drains into the Saint Lawrence River at Tadoussac....
and Ha! Ha! Rivers with 10 to 50 cm (3.9 to 19.7 in) of new, relatively clean sediments. Research has shown that the old sediments are no longer a threat to ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
s.
External links
- CBC Digital Archives - The Saguenay Flood
- Bilan du Siècle, University of Sherbrooke in (FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
) - Meteorological Service of Canada: Top Ten Weather Stories of 1996
- Project Saguenay The scientific team doing research on the ecological effects of the flood.
- A private gallery