St. John River expected to drop below flood stage in some areas this week
River Watch forecast says Maugerville and Fredericton should see water levels fall below flood stage by Friday
Water levels continue to drop and some areas along the St. John River could be below flood stage this week, according to New Brunswick's River Watch forecast.
The St. John River is expected to fall below flood stage In Fredericton and Maugerville by Friday morning.
Water levels in Fredericton are expected to drop to 6.6 metres on Thursday. Flood stage is 6.5 metres.
In Maugerville, water levels are expected to sit at 6.2 metres. Flood stage is six metres.
And as floodwaters recede, more roads across the province are beginning to reopen. The Trans-Canada Highway reopened Wednesday afternoon between Fredericton and Moncton.
Al Giberson, general manager and facility manager for MRDC, the company that maintains the highway, said the highway reopened one lane in each direction near Jemseg around 12:30 p.m.
Speed is reduced to 70 km/h because there is still some water close to the road along that stretch, from kilometre 330 to 339.
In Jemseg, water levels will drop to 5.8 metres Thursday. Flood stage is 4.3 metres.
In Grand Lake, water levels will drop to 5.9 metres. Flood stage is five metres.
In Sheffield-Lakeville Corner, water levels will sit at six metres. Flood stage is 4.8 metres.
In the Quispamsis-Saint John areas, water levels will hover around 4.7 metres. Flood stage is 4.2 metres.
In Oak Point, water will drop to five metres. Flood stage is 4.7 metres.
Oak Point is projected to return below flood stage on Saturday and Saint John on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the New Brunswick government has announced several measures to help residents beginning to clean up as floodwaters continue to recede, revealing the extent of the damage.
Reporting flood damage
The provincial government is urging affected residents to report flood damage by calling 1-888-298-8555 or by registering online.
The Damage Report Line program allows residents, tenants, small businesses and not-for-profit organizations to receive information and register their flood-related damage.
Free well-water sampling kits can be picked up at designated Service New Brunswick centres in Fredericton, Burton, Chipman, Sussex, Hampton and Saint John and at the Research and Productivity Council beginning May 7.
Private well owners must wait 10 days after floodwaters recede from their wells before beginning the chlorination and sampling process.
