Saint Andrews reeling from high winds, storm surge damage

Power outages, broken fencing and decks, and seaweed-covered streets are just some of the issues residents are facing, he said.

"We were woken at 2 a.m. and we had lightning — or it could have been transformers blowing —but the sky was alive and the power was flickering at that time," said Choptiany.

"The wind was howling. I couldn't tell you how strong it was, but it certainly was strong," he said, noting some large trees were toppled, hydropoles were snapped in two and picnic tables with cement bases were pushed nearly 70 feet.

"At the height of the storm, the water was spraying over the two-storey houses," and some streets were flooded. "So, pretty dramatic."

Town crews started working around 2:30 a.m. to deal with some of the damage, the mayor said. And with more coastal flooding possible this afternoon, "they'll be tired by the end of the day," he said.

But the town has been working on sea level rise projections over the past two years, so crews know what to expect and are prepared, the mayor said.

"Everywhere that we've identified as vulnerable zones, those are exactly the zones and the areas that are flooding," he said.

The town will be conducting some engineering studies and developing a five or 10-year plan to start addressing some of the infrastructure changes that will be required, such as raising the sea walls and market square, said Choptiany.

"I'm sure we're talking hundreds and hundreds of thousands [of dollars], so it's well beyond anything that we can afford to do on our own, so we'll be looking to the province and the federal government for help," he said.

About 250 homes and businesses in the town were still without power as of 3:;30 p.m. NB Power crews are hoping to have power restored later today.