A catastrophic flood wreaked havoc throughout northern New England and the Eastern Townships in the fall of 1927. The disaster was the worst flood on record.
The result of a tropical storm that swept up through the United States and into Canada, torrential rains on November 3 and 4 caused flash-flooding of low-lying villages, towns and farms across the region.
Rivers and lakes burst their banks in only a few hours, causing widespread property damage and loss of homes and livelihood everywhere. Some of the severest damage in the Eastern Townships occurred to the region’s roads, bridges, and railway lines.
Covered bridges were especially hard hit by the flood. Their siding prevented the floodwaters from flowing over the roadway, so many of them were swept away by the tremendous pressure.
Since 1927, no flood has come remotely close to causing the same amount of damage in the Townships.