April 6, 1908 Tsunami: Notre Dame DE LA Salette, Canada

Three years later, in 1908, a landslide occurred suddenly on the Lievre River in western Quebec (Evans, 2001). It generated a displacement wave that overwhelmed part of the village of Nortre-Dame-de-la Salette, killing 27 people. (reference #1400)

The landslide of 1908 in Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette, Quebec, was the deadliest event occurring in sensitive clays of Eastern Canada, causing 33 deaths. Of these, 26 are associated with the tsunami generated impact of water and ice on the opposite bank. (reference #11915)

The ice in the river was apparently unbroken at the time, and was lifted and carried forward over the east bank on which Salette village was located, at an elevation of not more than twelve to fifteen feet above the present level of the river, and which was some feet above the ordinary summer level. The rush of the ice came with such force against the village as to completely demolish the greater portion. In fact, everything within its course was destroyed: including twelve houses and some twenty-five outbuildings, which were entirely destroyed to their very foundations; while on the margin of the ice movement several other buildings were more or less damaged. On the west bank where the slide started, three houses were entirely destroyed, together with several outbuildings. The total loss of life as far as can be ascertained, was thirty-three persons. The rush of ice was followed by a rush of water from the river, which carried portions of the ruined buildings and the bodies of villagers inland beyond the road which is parallel to the shore; depositing the debris at an elevation of about fifty feet above the river level. (reference #11918)

Reference #12345 lists as validity 4 (access April 2024)