Flood warning in effect after St. Johns river rises

The situation was much more dire in the outlying communities.

Road access was finally closed for residents of Maugerville and Sheffield, the two small communities southeast of the capital that have been hardest hit so far.

This followed nearly a week of warnings that people should leave before the rising river cut them off.

Within the first day of the road being closed, though, about 50 people had changed their minds, requested evacuation and been brought out by boat and military vehicle.

While major traffic disruptions due to the serious flooding have not been reported, the dispatcher at one Fredericton-based carrier told Todaystrucking.com that a few highway on-ramps were slower than usual -- the New Brunswick Ministry of Transportation is posting road closures as they occur and then get opened again.

Check:www1.gnb.ca/cnb/transportation/flooding-e.asp (link below.

You can also get updated reports by phoning 1-800-561-4063.

 

People fled homes and businesses along both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border near this town at the northern tip of Maine on Wednesday as the area suffered its worst flooding on record.

At least 3 inches of rain in 24 hours combined with melting of the heaviest winter snow accumulation in memory to send the St. John River to 28.2 feet — more than 3 feet above flood stage.

The river is expected to crest at 31 feet Thursday, 4 feet higher than the previous record set in 1979, said Joseph Hewitt of the National Weather Service.

The flooded St. John River is expected to crest in Fredericton on Thursday and begin to recede on Friday.

New Brunswick's Emergency Measures Organization said Thursday afternoon the river level was 8.33 metres.

The river is expected to continue to rise over the remainder of the day, said Andy Morton, deputy director for EMO, at a briefing on Thursday afternoon, but it also appears to be cresting.