On May 21, a big landslide destroyed a home in Sainte-Monique, in Quebec. The house was beside the Siméon-Provencher current, a river that flows into the Nicolet River. This event is believed to have been caused by recent heavy rains in the area. In the city of Trois-Rivières, approximately 50 mm of rain fell in only a few days. The heavy rain made the argillaceous ground very wet and soft, which caused it to slide.

The man who lived in the house, Mr. Fernand Terrien, said he got up early in the morning, and went to see his brothers in neighboring houses, and then went to visit a friend who lives 7 or 8 kilometers away. He left for only 15 minutes and, when he returned, his house was completely gone.

At the beginning, people in the neighborhood thought the loud noise they heard in the morning was just a tractor. Later in the morning, they found it was the sound of the ground breaking down and moving. The house of Fernand Terrien was swept away by the landslide.

Fortunately, there was no one was hurt. Therrien has three dogs, and they also survived. They ran out of the area just before the ground started to move. “I’m fine despite what happened,” Therrien said. An old lady from the neighborhood told him, “You are blessed by the Gods.”

The Quebec government has considered Sainte-Monique as an area at risk for landslides. The local officials are now analysing the ground very closely to be sure if more landslides might happen. They are asking people to be aware of the dangers, report any cracks and strange noises, or water that could be signs of danger.

“I avoided the worst. If I had been there in my house at that time…” Fernand Therrien knows he was lucky about this situation, he said in an interview with the Journal, without finishing his sentence.