Date: May 10, 2003

Location: Burlington

Easting: 570839

Northing: 5511080

Latitude: 49° 45′ 00″ N

Longitude: 56° 01′ 00″ W

Fatalities: 0

Injuries: 0

Source: Various news sources

CBC web site:

Roads washed out in record rainfall – May 11 2003

St. John’s ­ Heavy rain over the weekend damaged a number of highways in the province.

The RCMP in Baie Verte closed Route 413 to Burlington on Saturday, and said a number of other roads on the Baie Verte peninsula were partially washed away.

Work crews managed to open one lane to traffic on Route 391 to Harry’s Harbour in Green Bay after the road was blocked in the Harry’s Brook area.

Sunday morning, the highways department was closely monitoring the Trans-Canada Highway just west of Grand Falls-Windsor where water was reportedly very close to flooding the highway.

The weather office says Gander set a new rainfall record of just over 44 millimetres, on Saturday.

Road repairs beginning – May 12 2003

SMITH’S HARBOUR ­ Highway crews will be at work on the Baie Verte Peninsula Monday, trying to repair damage from torrential rains over the weekend.

On Saturday night, flood waters washed out 80 metres of a highway at Burlington.

Wayne Ricks is with the Department of Works, Services and Transportation. He says the washout has isolated the community of Smith’s Harbour, and part of Burlington.

Ricks says the department hopes to have one lane repaired Monday,but “we’re looking at several days before we can actually get the whole thing put back together again.”

Ricks says until the road is repaired, the only way to get out of Smith’s Harbour is by sea. He says a longliner is on standby, in case anyone has to be taken out of the community in an emergency.

Related to same rainfall event was a landslide in south port, Trinity Bay.