Context: a major flood hits a food processing plant

In 2019, a food production plant located in the Beauce region was severely impacted by an exceptional flood. Over one million cubic feet of water inundated the facility, compromising the complex, multi-layered flooring structure. In a context where any production downtime leads to significant losses, a rapid and effective response was critical.

A temporary relocation had initially been considered, but was quickly ruled out due to high costs and major logistical challenges. Action had to be taken quickly, on-site, and without demolition—otherwise, the relocation would have become permanen

Water damage intervention: a targeted, technology-driven approach

To address the emergency, a non-destructive water damage intervention was deployed directly on site. The goal: to dry the structures effectively while maintaining the plant’s operations as much as possible.

Key measures implemented included:

• Deployment of an intensive drying plan

   without relocating operations

• Installation of over 100 smart sensors 

  throughout the plant to monitor real-time humidity, temperature, and material moisture content

• Use of a 25,000 CFM desiccant

   to control relative humidity

• Automation of dehumidification

  (mechanical or natural) based on weather conditions

• Connection to a web-based platform 

  for live data visualization

• Generation of dynamic thermal maps 

  to quickly identify critical areas and guide field interventions

Results: restart in three weeks despite the damage

Thanks to this effective post-flood intervention, part of the plant’s operations was able to resume in less than three weeks. Continuous monitoring and real-time data visualization enabled fast, accurate, and adaptive decision-making throughout the process.

This case perfectly illustrates the value of an integrated, technology-driven approach when dealing with a major incident in the food industry. The plant was able to minimize economic losses while avoiding the complexity of a temporary relocation.

Summary of operational benefits

When dealing with water damage caused by flooding, a smart, non-destructive intervention strategy not only helps preserve infrastructure but also enables operations to resume in record time. The use of connected sensors and a centralized platform is now considered a best practice for incident management in critical environments such as the food processing industry.