A torrential overnight rain early Thursday added to snow melt, causing washed-out roads and basements across P.E.I.
Hardest hit was Queens county, said Darren Chaisson, director of highway maintenance for the province, by phone Thursday evening.
Malpeque MP Wayne Easter was called to Hunter River early Thursday to see flooded basements next to the river.
A family that just bought a house north, or down stream, from the private dam in the community had to flee in the early morning hours as water surged into their basement.
"The water was coming over the top of the dam so (the owner of the dam arranged to) open the dam (Wednesday) afternoon and allow the water to free flow," said Easter. "But then that heavy rain overnight flooded over the road, and it's fairly high so all those houses were flooded."
By the time Chaisson was told of that event, the water had subsided so there was little road damage in the heart of Hunter River compared to other areas, he said.
"We have new things coming up all the time," said Chaisson. "Things seemed to break about (Tuesday). It always happens all at once where you get spring thaw coming down from the woods, through fields. It happens every year within a day or two."
This was the worst Easter has ever seen and he called it a 10-year event.
"We have a lot of culverts flooding and washouts," said Chaisson. "A lot of our unpaved roads really took a beating as well.
"We hope to have everything open on the paved roads (today)," said Chaisson.
The only exception will likely be Route 224 in the St. Annes, Stanley Bridge area.
"We are not sure if there is any structural damage," he said. "We could be looking at a large repair there."
Simpson Mill Road in Stanley Bridge was down to one lane of traffic.
Suffering the same fate of road closure or one-lane traffic was: Tobin Road, between Route 1 and Route 10 in Tryon; the County Line Road, Route 232 between Emerald and Shamrock; Church Hill Avenue at the North Rustico entrance kiosk in the P.E.I. National; and a washout on Bernard Rd. in Baltic, off Rt. 103.
"Parks Canada is working to clear debris from the culvert to allow water to flow through more freely," said a press release.
"The Gulf Shore Parkway will remain open between North Rustico and Cavendish," it said. "Visitors can access the national park through Route 13 at Cawnpore Lane."
The province also reports that Route 6, Cavendish Road, from the Community of Rustico to Route 13 in Cavendish will be detoured until further notice.
In addition, Route 6, Portage Road, from Route 15, Brackley Pt Road, to Route 223, Winsloe Road will be detoured until further notice.
"It is recommended that travelers take alternate routes to avoid soft unpaved roads, if possible," said the Department of Transportation.
