It took Claude Méthot a couple of days to fully comprehend the extent of the damage to his farm in Baie-Saint-Paul, Que. He says the land that he bought three years ago has been cultivated for hundreds of years. The fields that had been ready for another season of wheat, corn or oats are now covered with sand and clay. "We will not be able to farm this field anymore," said Méthot. He figures he's lost about 10 per cent of his land. "It's a primal, visceral fear and shock just to see where there was this gorgeous wheat field last year. Now it's a river."