The people of Beauceville, Que. woke up with a lot of cleaning to do.

An ice jam in the Chaudière River broke apart on April 14, sending a wave of water and ice rushing into homes in the middle of the night.

Many in the town credit this year's long winter, wrought with sudden temperature swings, for creating the perfect cocktail of conditions suited to instant flooding -- an issue that has only occurred in the area four times in 25 years.

With the recent wave of flooding, came substantial damage to both residential and commercial establishments in the town of 6,000, located just south of Quebec City.

“The water went in the street everywhere,” said Felix Nunez, manager of the City of Beauceville. “It affected like 20 businesses and 40 properties,”

Not everyone in the town is insured, but Nunez is unsure whether or not government aid will be made available to cover damages.

A public meeting has been called for April 16 to discuss the issue.

The ice jams are potentially problematic for areas further down the river as well, like Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce, where roads are flooded and the train tracks are covered.

Traces of oil were spotted along the river – potentially linked to last summer’s Lac-Megantic train derailment – making drinking water an additional matter of concern.

Some nearby towns have responded by sourcing drinking water elsewhere as a precautionary measure.