Offices close in flooded Fredericton
Saint John River submerges streets
FREDERICTON — Bob Leonard usually lives about 120 metres from the Saint John River, but these are not usual times on Alexandra Street in Fredericton.
“We had two ducks that started off on Alexandra Street and they swam up to the back of our property, swam across into the next property and then turned around and went back,” Leonard, who is in his 60s, said Monday.
The Saint John River began flooding on Friday after heavy rains and snow melt in northern New Brunswick caused water levels to rise faster than expected and left many downtown Fredericton streets submerged.
By Monday morning, Leonard had two sump pumps chugging away in his basement as he fought a steady stream of water that was about five centimetres deep after first funnelling in about midday Friday.
“We don’t have any damage, so we’re fortunate,” he said.
Officials said Monday that water levels along the Saint John were expected to rise over the next 48 hours, while several areas along the river had passed or will reach the flood stage.
“The forecast is calling for about eight millimetres for the next 48 hours, so we’re happy that the river doesn’t seem to be rising at the moment. But this situation is far from resolved,” Geoffrey Downey, spokesman for the Emergency Measures Organization, said in an interview Monday.
The Saint John River reached 8.2 metres — or 1.7 metres above flood stage — on Saturday, but had receded to 8.1 metres on Sunday. Heavy rains were dousing the area Monday, raising concerns that there could be further flooding in the area.
Several communities down river were already surpassing flood levels.
Other river systems were also at risk of flooding, including the Miramichi, Restigouche, Middle, Nashwaak, Middle and Tetagouche rivers.
Some government offices were shut down for the day, roads were closed and court hearings were relocated on Monday following flooding that is rivalling one of the province’s worst floods.
“For Fredericton, this is on par with 2008, which is regarded as the second worst, where flood levels hit 8.36 metres,” Downey said.
The province said the closures in Fredericton were necessary because high water levels have left roads under water and created problems with parking. Offices outside the downtown would remain open.
At least one school was closed and several streets were barricaded.