Fredericton, Jemseg expected to hit flood level Thursday, EMO says

The Emergency Measures Organization says the St. John River near Fredericton and Jemseg are expected to reach flood levels on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Saint John and Quispamsis are forecast to reach the warning stage, the organization said in an advisory.

All four communities hit the watch stage on Tuesday, as did Woodstock, according to the advisory.

• Heavy rain warnings blanket New Brunswick on Tuesday

• Perth-Andover evacuation order over flood risk lifted

The entire province remains under a rainfall warning issued by Environment Canada.

Most of central and southern New Brunswick is forecast to receive roughly 40 millimetres of rain, while the Fundy coast may receive 50 mm of rain.

Fredericton hits the flood level when the St. John River reaches 6.5 metres.

On Tuesday, the river reached 5.67 metres and was lapping over a waterfront trail. Part of University Avenue was also covered with water, CBC's Redmond Shannon reported from the scene. 

The river is expected to approach six metres on Wednesday and 6.8 metres on Thursday, Fredericton officials said.

"At that level, water will come up on to green areas along the river and can affect residents in the low lying areas of Lower St. Mary's and Lincoln," said Wayne Tallon, the public safety director, in a news release.

"It usually has little impact on other areas of the city or on our transportation network."

Jemseg reached the watch stage of 3.79 metres on Tuesday and is forecast to hit the flood stage of 4.4 metres by Thursday.

Saint John and Quispamsis reached the watch stage of 3.53 metres today and are expected to reach the warning stage of 3.9 metres on Thursday.

Flood concerns began to shift after the threat started to subside in the northwestern community of Perth-Andover on Monday.

The village ended its mandatory evacuation order on Monday afternoon, but officials were still encouraging residents living near the river to stay away if they could.

Water levels in the community are stable, but at the advisory stage at 75.69 metres.

The St. John River is currently moving free of ice, but Perth-Andover officials are continuing to monitor an ice jam and water flows above the Grand Falls dam.

Provincial officials are also watching ice movement on the St. John River near the Aroostok River, Woodstock and below Mactaquac.

The latest water level estimates issued by the provincial government are for communities along the St. John River:

• The river near Clair/Fort Kent is forecast to reach the flood advisory stage (154.4 metres) on Thursday
• The river near Saint-Hilaire reached the flood stage (143.6 metres) on Tuesday and is forecast to stay at the level (144.4 metres) until Thursday
• The river near St.-Leonard is forecast to reach the flood advisory level (134.4 metres) on Thursday
• The near near Woodstock reached the flood watch level (40.74 metres) on Tuesday 
• The river near Maugerville is forecast to reach the flood advisory level (4.95 metres) on Tuesday and to reach the flood warning level (5.8 metres) on Thursday
• The river near Grand Lake reached the flood advisory level (3.61 metres) on Tuesday and is forecast to hit the flood watch level (4.2 metres) on Thursday
• The river near Sheffield-Lakeville Corner reached the flood advisory level (3.77 metres) on Tuesday and is forecast to reach the flood warning level (4.4 metres) on Thursday
• The river near Oak Point reached the flood advisory level (3.53 metres) on Tuesday and is forecast to remain at the flood advisory level (4.1 metres) until Thursday