Trans-canada Highway shut as N.B. flooding hits record levels
New Brunswick is shuttering a large section of the Trans-canada Highway and warning motorists to be on watch for wildlife seeking refuge as floodwaters rise to record levels along the Saint John River.
Barricades closing the fourlane highway between Moncton and Fredericton went up yesterday, the latest and most significant roadway closure in the flood-weary province, with forecasts threatening more rain.
Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Bill Fraser said in all 81 roads and bridges have been closed to traffic, while dozens of other roadways and ramps are partially closed.
He said the detour between Moncton and Fredericton is “in excess of a couple hundred kilometres” in part because of the widespread road closures surrounding the highway.
Geoffrey Downey of the Emergency Measures Organization said floodwaters surging past record levels in parts of New Brunswick have sent the province into “uncharted territory.”
He said Thursday that Saint John has hit 5.4 metres above sea level — water levels not seen since 1973 — and will likely exceed that on Saturday when forecasts say it could reach 5.8 metres.
Downey said the rising Saint John River is closing roads and causing more people to evacuate in areas stretching from Fredericton south to Saint John, where the situation is expected to worsen in the coming days.
“The problem is we’re venturing into uncharted territory,” he said. “Who knows how far it’s going to go up, so how many homes is it now going to reach?”
He said roughly 100 homes have been evacuated, affecting about 260 people, but that those numbers are expected to climb.
The EMO in Saint John is recommending that anyone in lowlying areas along the Saint John River “evacuate their homes im- mediately with their pets and seek accommodation with family or friends,” the municipality said in a statement. That includes Randolph, the Westfield Road area along with Ragged Point and Beach roads.
Elsewhere, the community of Jemseg has surpassed historic records, while several other areas including Sheffield, Grand Lake and Oak Point are expected to hit record-breaking flood levels.
Transportation Department spokesman Jeremy Trevors said the Trans- Canada Highway around Jemseg also had water on it. He added that roads further north in Miramichi and Bathurst had also been closed by flooding.
Fraser said a significant number of moose and deer have been spotted on roadways as wildlife are flooded out of low-lying wooded areas. He warned motorists to use caution on the roads, especially in areas where wildlife sightings are common.
Downey said the EMO was busy fielding calls from people looking for sandbags and help evacuating.
“People are asking for all kinds of sand and sandbags — that’s a huge one right now,” he said. “We’re still doing evacuations and we’re encouraging anyone who self-evacuates and doesn’t need help that they register with the Red Cross, as well.”
The provincial government launched the Disaster Financial Assistance program on Wednesday to help businesses, municipalities and individuals who have suffered damage during the current flood.
Premier Brian Gallant said damage has already been reported and is likely to get worse in the days ahead.
The maximum assistance for private homes is $160,000, and $500,000 for small businesses and not-for-profit organizations. Coverage is provided to repair and clean structures and to replace basic necessities, but is not available for recreational properties.
Oromocto fire Chief Jody Price said boats are being used to rescue people from homes across the river in Maugerville, and the longer people wait to leave, the harder it is to get to them.
“The higher the water gets — and it has been a continual rise — it is more difficult for us. We went from Friday, when we could get people out of there with vehicles, to today, where we can’t go over there without a boat,” Price said.
And unless it’s an emergency, Price said people need to be moved during the daylight hours.
“We don’t send our boats and our crews in after dark for the safety of our crews. We need to move people out of there in the daytime. We are urging people if you want to come out, or are thinking about coming out, then we need you to come out now,” he said.
Price said the levels of the floodwaters are the highest he has ever seen.
Further down river, people in Grand Bay-westfield were filling sandbags and trying to protect homes, with officials expecting a significant rise in water levels over the next few days.
In Saint John, the huge volumes of water in the river can only release into the Bay of Fundy at low tide, but even high tides have met their match this week against the strong currents at the city’s Reversing Falls.