Following the long and bitterly cold winter experienced by much of southern Canada, comes more unpleasant surprise for many areas, in the form of floods.
Residents at St Lambert de lauzon watch a huge pile up of ice floating on the Chaudiere River south of Quebec City. Several households were evacuated on Monday,
(photo:Jacques Boissinot-Canadian Press) CLICK to ENLARGE
In many cases the floods are being caused by ice jams on rivers.
Due to the cold, the ice was thicker and there was more of it than has been the case in decades.
An aerial view of ice in the Chaudiere River and flooding in the nearby streets in Beauceville Quebec (photo Jacques Boissinot-Canadian Press) CLICK to ENLARGE
With the spring breakup, due to warming weather the ice moves downriver and often jams in several locations.
This year a quick hot spell swept across central and eastern Canada prompting a rapid melt of snow, this was preceeded by heavy rains, with the result that flooding is occurring in many areas throughout southern Canada.
Rains caused a landslide in the Laurentian area north of Montreal Quebec, destroying 3 cottages and four boathouses, pushing them into the Lac des Seize Iles lake. (photo-CBC) CLICK to ENLARGE
While spring flooding is not unusual in many areas, there are more areas being hit this year and flooding is widespread.
Flooding in New Brunswick: Four cows had to be rescued from a flooded barn near the .Meduxnekeag River, just one of many rivers in the province that have risin over their banks (photo-courtesy Tammy MacLean) CLICK to ENLARGE)
The costliest natural disaster in Canadian history occurred last year in the prairie province of Alberta when the major city of Calgary and several others were flooded.
In Sherbrooke Quebec, many roads are closed, and hundreds have been evacuated as rain, and a sudden hot spell earlier caused the St Francois river to rise 7.5 metres (photo-Alison Brunette-CBC) CLICK to ENLARGE
Meanwhile the unusual weather continues. For example on Monday April 14, the temperature in Montreal reached a summer-like 24 degrees, early Wednesday morning it was -7 with a windchill equal to -14, and the expected high of only 1 degree.
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