Storm topples famous rock formation in New Brunswick

A before and after view of Flowerpot Rock at Fownes Head, which toppled during a February storm. (Source: Fundy Trail Parkway/Facebook)

A famous rock formation on New Brunswick’s Fundy Trail Parkway has toppled over.

The Flowerpot Rock at Fownes Head fell last week during a storm that brought powerful winds and strong tides to the region.

“Flowerpot rocks are so nicknamed because of the tuft of vegetation that grows on their tops, but the proper term for the formation is a sea stack. A sea stack is one stage that occurs during the natural process of coastal erosion,” explains a post on the Fundy Trail Parkway’s Facebook page.

“Sea stacks help to show where the coastline used to be and serve as excellent reminders of the erosional power of the ocean and the incredible Bay of Fundy tides.”

Cycles of freezing and thawing have also had an impact on rock formations at the iconic Hopewell Rocks in Hopewell Cape, N.B.

In 2016, the site’s historic Elephant Rock fell and there was another smaller rock collapse in 2017.

The Fundy Trail Parkway opens for the season on May 20.