Wind still a concern as emergency officials survey flood damage in Grand Lake

Strong gusts continue to blow through Grand Lake following a weekend of wind and heavy rain that battered homes and cottages throughout the region.

Emergency officials continue to perform wellness checks on residents affected by floodwaters that persist in the area east of Fredericton.

Capt. Blair Nason of the Douglas Harbour Fire Department was among them. His team was conducting checks and handing out water in Lakeville Corner on Monday.

"What's happened here today is the wind and the ice movement," Nason said. "That's done most of the damage."

Chunks of ice have knocked down a series of power poles

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NB Power linemen, moving between locations on a small boat, were conducting checks on affected buildings and disconnecting power where needed.

On Saturday, gusts of 60 kilometres an hour created metre-high waves that pounded buildings and exacerbated an already dire situation for some.

The New Brunswick Emergency Measures said at least one cottage was knocked off its foundation, while many other structures saw extensive damage, leaving plenty of debris to float about.

The wind remained a factor Monday, with gusts upwards of 45 km/h.

NB Power linemen, moving between locations on a small boat, were conducting checks on affected buildings and disconnecting power where needed. Chunks of ice had knocked down a series of hydro poles, creating some power outages.

"We've only been to one so far, and the damage was pretty extensive," said lineman Dan Rickard. "We expected to see more of the same."

As of Monday afternoon, 231 NB Power customers from across the province had their services disconnected because of flooding.

The water level in Grand Lake is slowly receding but remains more than a metre above the five-metre flood level. Floodwaters reached 6.42 metres Saturday before dipping to 6.25 by Monday morning.

According the provincial five-day forecast, that trend will continue gradually throughout the week, falling to 5.3 metres by the weekend.

"I think the water wasn't as much the issue of this flood; it was the wind," Troy Storey, a volunteer firefighter with the Minto Fire Department, said Sunday.

"The wind blew from the east, 50 kilometres, and that's what caused the damage. These camps behind me were built in the '50s. Our camp went down last year, but the one beside us didn't fare so well. I'd say the front wall went out and the roof went into the water."

He said one thing he noticed from the wellness checks is that people seemed to have learned lessons from last year's historic flood, taking "extra precautions" this time around.

The Minto firefighters toured Princess Park campground, which was devastated last spring. They counted nine to 10 camps that were badly damaged.

The winds are expected to be lighter Tuesday morning, with sustained gusts on the lake of 30 km/h.

The Red Cross said 445 households and 1,111 individuals have registered with the organization.

EMO said Monday that an aerial survey showed more than 16,000 properties experienced flooding, though the water did not reach every building in those areas.

Residents affected by flooding can report 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.