Residents in New Brunswick Face Evacuation Orders After Flood Waters Rise

Emergency officials in Fredericton are bracing for what they expect to be near-record flood levels.

The floodwaters of the St. John River are expected to go beyond the 2005 level of 7.8 metres, said Andy Morton, deputy director of New Brunswick's Emergency Measures Organization.

"It could be very, very significant," Morton said.

The waters in Fredericton reached seven metres on Tuesday and with up to 100 millimetres of rain forecast for parts of the province, the level was expected to reach 7.4 metres by Wednesday morning.

Bob Martin, the Fredericton Fire Department's assistant deputy chief of operations, said that means the situation is going to get worse.

"Water levels are expected to hit the 7.8-metre mark and for us, the flood stage is 6.5 metres," Martin said. "So anybody that's in that evacuation area, we need to get in touch with the Red Cross. We have heavy rain upriver from us, so we're expecting that to hit us late (Tuesday) or Wednesday. Our fire crews are going door-to-door now to put out contact numbers and information on what to do."

A dormitory at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton has been set up as a shelter for evacuees. A city hotel also offered its services for people with disabilities who might require elevators and other amenities.

The last major flood in the area was in 2005, when the river level reached 7. 8 metres, forcing a handful of families from their homes.

The highest level recorded was 8.5 metres in 1973.

Jill Peters of the province's Department of Social Development said as of Tuesday morning, 22 people from 12 families had been evacuated from the affected areas.

The waters in Fredericton reached 7.1 metres on Tuesday morning and with up to 100 millimetres of rain forecast for parts of the province, the level was expected to reach 7.8 metres by Wednesday.

In 2005, when the St. John River hit 7.8 metres, about 500 houses were impacted and several families had to evacuate.

New Brunswick residents are keeping close watch on the swelling St. John River Tuesday as a forecast of rain threatens to bring the water to dangerous levels.

The rising waters are already high enough to lap the lawns of homes close to the river, and western parts of the province are expected to see between 60 to 88 millimetres of rain on Tuesday.