June 29 storm: recovery could take a while

Jun 30, 2023

The violent rainstorm that hit Edmundston and parts of Madawaska is causing major detours due to severed roads and landslides. 

The 150 mm or so of rain that fell in some places caused flash flooding in rivers, damaging roads and culverts in the process. In addition, more than 110 people reported damage to their property.

"This unusual storm arrived suddenly, without warning. The only warning we had was at 5.30 pm. We have a plan for dealing with critical situations. We're going to find out why we didn't get this warning," says Jacques Doiron, Emergency Measures Coordinator for the City of Edmundston.

Roads closed indefinitely:

Mont-Farlagne Road (between exit ramp 13a and chemin Rivière-à-la-Truite)

Saint-François Street (between rue Philippe and chemin Rossignol)

Roads with reduced traffic:

Saint-François Street (one lane per section between chemin Gabourie and chemin Rossignol)

Des Trois-Milles Road (slow traffic due to road damage)

Gabourie Road

Rivière-à-la-Truite Road (slow traffic due to road damage - one lane per section)

Due to major damage to a section of Saint-François Street, between Philippe Street and Des Trois-Milles Road, traffic to and from Haut-Madawaska must take a detour via Des Trois-Milles Road and Rivière-à-la-Truite Road. Heavy traffic, however, will have to take a detour via Saint-Jean-de-la-Lande in Quebec or the United States.

A firm of specialists has been dispatched to the site to analyse the extent of the damage and find short- and long-term solutions for restoring circulation on the section of Saint-François Street. "We understand that these detours will be a major inconvenience for many people, but it's a safety issue because the damaged section of the road is at risk of collapsing," explains Edmundston Mayor Eric Marquis.

Clean-up

Municipal teams are actively working on assessing the situation, preliminary street cleaning and exhaustive cleaning of stormwater systems, particularly at the Canada Road - Roy Avenue - Acadie Blvd intersection, where major flooding caused a great deal of damage.

Special trash collection for disaster victims

For people whose properties have been damaged, the City of Edmundston is setting up a special trash collection. As of today, occupants can place their damaged property at the curb.

"We were very lucky. We haven't reported any incidents, injuries or loss of life. But there have been very significant material losses. We're talking about hundreds of homes flooded and roads cut off. Rail traffic is also at a standstill. We would like to thank the public for their understanding during this difficult period," concluded Mayor Marquis.

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CONTACT: Jacques Doiron, Emergency Measures Coordinator, 506.739.2117