 The "little white house" at Saguenay, in 2008. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Duration | July 19–20, 1996 |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 10 |
| Damage | CA$1.5 billion |
| Areas affected | Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region ofQuebec |
TheSaguenay flood (French:Déluge du Saguenay) was a series offlash floods on July 19 and 20, 1996 that hit theSaguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region ofQuebec, Canada. It was the biggest overland flood in 20th-centuryCanadian history.[1]
Problems started after two weeks of constant rain, which severely engorgedsoils,rivers andreservoirs. The Saguenay region is a geologicalgraben, 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 overNiagara Falls in four weeks."[2]
Over 8 feet (2.4 m) of water flooded parts ofChicoutimi andLa Baie, completely levelling an entire neighbourhood. Estimates reachCA$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 ofdikes anddams 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 themudslides produced by the incredible rain.[1]
A small white house (referred to inFrench asLa petite maison blanche, "The little white house") stood nearly unharmed in Chicoutimi while torrents of water rushed in on every side, and it became the symbol of surviving the flood. It was owned by Jeanne d'Arc Lavoie-Genest. With its foundation still highly exposed after the flooding, it has been preserved in Saguenay (the city name has changed) as a historical park andmuseum commemorating the flood.[3]
An unexpected effect of the flood was to cover the heavily contaminatedsediments at the bottom of theSaguenay andHa! Ha! Rivers with 10 to 50 centimetres (3.9 to 19.7 in) of new, relatively clean sediments. Because of this, research has shown that the old sediments are no longer a threat toecosystems and the river will not have to be dredged and treated to control contamination.[4]
TheHa! Ha! Pyramid was created to memorialise the flood.
48°25′30″N71°04′34″W / 48.42500°N 71.07611°W /48.42500; -71.07611