Landslide destroys home in central Quebec, leaves massive scar in landscape
A major landslide struck Sainte-Monique in central Quebec, Canada, around 06:00 local time on May 21, 2025, sweeping away a house and cutting through a rural road. The event forced nearby residents to evacuate, but no injuries or missing persons were reported.
The slide left a large ground scar estimated at 760 m (2 493 feet) long and 150 m (492 feet) wide, cutting through a rural road. Public Safety officials confirmed no one was inside the house at the time of the collapse. The Red Cross is assisting evacuated residents, and a geologist has been brought in to investigate the cause of the landslide.
Sylvain Gallant, regional spokesperson for Quebec’s Public Security Ministry, said it was too early to determine the exact cause of the landslide, but noted that the area had experienced significant rainfall in recent days.
Approximately 50 mm (1.97 inches) of rain fell in Trois-Rivières between Friday and Sunday, just 30 km (18.6 miles) from the affected area. Gallant said the landslide zone is likely to continue expanding due to the steep slope and the soil’s high clay content. At its deepest point, the depression reaches around 24 m (78.7 feet).
Heavy rainfall earlier in the month also triggered a landslide along Route du Trou-de-la-Fée, collapsing part of the roadway and severing access between Desbiens and Saint-André-du-Lac-Saint-Jean. The road remains closed due to ongoing safety concerns.
Gallant advised that if homeowners notice anything unusual, such as cracks in the ground or trees starting to fall, they should report it to the city immediately so experts can be sent to assess the situation. However, in this case, he noted that there were no clear warning signs before the landslide occurred.
Featured image: Landslide in central Quebec, Canada on May 21, 2025. Credit: CBC (stillshot from video)
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