Historic high water levels at southern N.B.

#EnvironmentCanada; #southernNewBrunswick; #highwaterlevels

Fredericton/Ottawa, May 6 (Canadian-Media): Between 10 and 20 millimetres of rain in the forecast for southern New Brunswick (N.B.) Sunday which would worsen the already unprecedented flooding had prompted Environment Canada to issue a special weather statement, media reports said.

"Any precipitation amounts is quite sensitive for New Brunswick at this time," Claude Côté, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, told CBC News.

Floods in N.B./CBC

#Water levels are still rising in the wake of the precipitation amounts that we received over the past couple of days, so any additional rainfall amounts would just exacerbate the flood situation right now," he said.

The flooding which began more than a week had forced at least 888 people from their homes, as of Sunday morning.

Roadways including  the Trans-Canada Highway between Moncton and Fredericton, and Route 10 in Chipman had been closed.

Water levels are at historic highs in southern regions of New Brunswick and we expect water levels to remain above flood stage for several days," said Shawn Berry, spokesperson for the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization (EMO).

The St. John River has now swelled  nearly 1.5 metres above the flood stage.

N.B. Premier Brian Gallant said Saturday that he had not ruled out declaring a state of emergency or calling in the army to assist with flooding in the province,  expected to continue for at least the next five days.
​

Brian Gallant/Facebook

​N.B, on Saturday had suffered additional damages caused by wind gust of up to 70 kilometres an hour, whipping up waves and causing floodwaters to gush over protective sandbags.

Efforts of evacuation had also become more complicated and power to thousands of homes of businesses were knocked out.

As of Sunday afternoon, more than 3,000 NB Power customers are still without electricity about 80 roads closed, more road 

Officials are urging anyone in communities such as Grand Lake, Jemseg, Gagetown, Hampstead, Belleisle, Oak Point, Grand Bay-Westfield, Quispamsis and Saint John to be on high alert.

"People should continue to exercise caution living on the St. John River system," Berry said.

As of Sunday morning, 888 people from across the province registered as evacuees with the Red Cross. ​