Monday & Tuesday Widespread Thunderstorms Cause Damage Throughout New Brunswick, Story By The CBC

Rain storm damages crops, floods homes

CBC News Posted: Jul 14, 2011 8:51 AM ATThe wild weather that slammed many parts of the province this week has caused heavy damage to public infrastructure and farms.

The Moncton area continues to dry out after being drenched by heavy thunderstorms on Tuesday night.

City crews spent Wednesday working roads after the rain caused one pipe to rupture near the Petitcodiac causeway and some residents were mopping up flooded basements.

The heavy rains caused a pipeline to burst beneath Highway 15.

Ross Fisher, an engineer with the provincial Department of Transportation, said the pipe burst because there was so much pressure in the pipe from the heaving rains.

"Unfortunately, the pipe came apart right underneath the roadway and the water leaked out of the pipe at that location and created a hole in the road," Fisher said.

The storm damage wasn't limited to solely infrastructure.

Don Morehouse, a public works official with the city of Moncton, said 16 homeowners called in with flooded basements.

While the homeowners are cleaning up now, Morehouse said the next step is for them to prepare for future storms.

"It's an opportunity for the homeowner to look at their property and typically see if there's any way they can mitigate any type of flooding on their property," Morehouse said.

The deluge of rain broke a 70-year-old record for precipitation. The city had 38 mm of rain fall in 24 hours, which is six mm more rain than fell in 1941.

Northwestern N.B. crops damaged

Moncton residents aren't the only ones surveying the damage after this week's storm.

Eric Theriault, a farmer in the northwestern community of Drummond, said his potato crop was devastated by strong winds, heavy rain and hailstones.

"When we got out of the warehouse, we just went and looked at the damage. But we knew nothing could withstand that and of course all the crops were all down and all the stalks were all broken down," he said.

Theriault estimates he lost 25 per cent of his potato crop to the storm damage and another 25 per cent was damaged.

He said the storm damage could mean a loss of up to $500,000.

Theriault said he doesn't have insurance, so he's hoping the provincial government will help out.