The infamous Chicoutimi River Flood of 1996 was caused by a two-day deluge that produced a volume of water that exceeded what pours over Niagara Falls in four weeks. The Chicoutimi River runs through the Canadian Provence of Quebec and was the biggest overland flood in Canada’s recent history. The rivers in the region rose over 8 feet, devastating many communities, including the City of Saguenay. The flood caused 12 deaths, destroyed 488 homes, and damaged another 1,230. The flood occurred in July at the height of the tourist season, which raised the estimated cost of the damage to $1.5 billion (CA). Miraculously, this small white house, owned by Jeanne d’Arc Lavoie-Genest and referred to by locals as “la petite maison blanche,” survived and became a symbol of the community’s strength and resilience.
The small house is pictured in front of a breached dam intended to restrain the floodwaters. This structure’s survival was credited to the owners, who took the precaution of raising the home onto high concrete foundations as the dam was being built. In addition, the concrete foundation walls extended down to solid rock. The surrounding rocks also helped divert some of the waters around the foundation, protecting it from the full force of the rushing floodwaters. In 1975 the Canadian government coordinated with the provinces to develop a flood damage reduction program, which resulted in the production of flood risk maps and the identification of areas of high risk. This led to the adjustment and location of buildings and settlements rather than relying on flood control infrastructure. Unfortunately, the federal program was phased out in 1996-97 due to budget constraints.
Not ignoring the significance of your comments r/t climate change and building constructioo, but I have to comment on what an awesome little house that is. In all of its bare and elegant simplicity. The curved roof and the extended gutters. Everything about it. That barren landscape reveals it.