Saguenay flood

thumb|Flooding in Chicoutimi during the Saguenay Flood.

The Saguenay flood () was a series of flash floods on July 19 and 20, 1996 that hit the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada. It was the biggest overland flood in 20th-century Canadian history.

History

Problems started after two weeks of constant rain, which severely engorged soils, rivers and reservoirs. The Saguenay region is a geological graben, which increased the effect of the sudden massive rains of July 19, 1996. In two days, rainfall accumulated that was "equivalent to the volume of water that tumbles over Niagara Falls in four weeks."

thumb|Map of rain accumulations from July 18 to 21, 1996, over Quebec province (Canada) during the Saguenay Flood.

Over of water flooded parts of Chicoutimi and La Baie, completely levelling an entire neighbourhood. Estimates reach 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 of Chicoutimi was poorly maintained. In the end, 488 homes were destroyed, 1,230 damaged, 16,000 people evacuated, and 10 people died. An additional 2 people died in the mudslides produced by the incredible rain.

An unexpected effect of the flood was to cover the heavily contaminated sediments at the bottom of the Saguenay and Ha! Ha! Rivers with of new, relatively clean sediments. Because of this, research has shown that the old sediments are no longer a threat to ecosystems and the river will not have to be dredged and treated to control contamination.

thumb|left|Pyramide des Ha! Ha! at the river

The Ha! Ha! Pyramid made of 3,000 yield signs was created in 1997 to memorialise the flood.

References

External links

CBC Digital Archives – The Saguenay Flood
"Bilan du Siècle", University of Sherbrooke
Meteorological Service of Canada: Top Ten Weather Stories of 1996
Project Saguenay, The scientific team doing research on the ecological effects of the flood.