Fredericton, Maugerville drop below flood stage

Water levels along the St. John River in Fredericton and Maugervilledropped below flood stageFriday for the first time in nearly two weeks.

Meanwhile,floodwatersin some communities along the lower St. John River are expected to persist into next week and beyond, according to River Watch's five-day forecast.

Health and safety inspection teams have started assessing damage to flood-affected homes and businessesacross the province to determine whether they are safe enough for residents or owners to stay in or return to the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization announced.

Power cannot be reconnectedto a home until an inspection is conducted, officials said.

Roads across the province are slowly reopening and flood cleanup is continuing in impacted areas.

• St. John River expected to drop below flood stage in some areas this week

In Fredericton, water levels dipped to 6.45 metres on Friday, according to River Watch.Flood stage is 6.5 metres above sea level.

Floodwaters are projected to continue to recede over the weekend and measure at5.8 metres by mid-next week, according to the forecast.

In Maugerville, water levels are hovering around5.96 metres, just below flood stage, which is six metres. The five-day forecast calls for a steady decline to 5.4 metres.

Oak Point is projected to return below flood stage on Saturday, but waterlevels remainat 4.78 metres. Flood stage is 4.7 metres.

Quispamsis and Saint John are expected to see some relief by Monday, when water levels should drop to 4.1 metres. The current reading is4.55metres. Flood stage is 4.2 metres.

Water levels in Grand Lake are still above the flood stage of five metres, sitting at 5.61 metres, but should be down to 4.9 metres by Tuesday.

In Jemseg, water levels are at 5.49metres and will remain above the flood stage of 4.3 metres throughout next week, according to the five-day forecast.

Sheffield-Lakeville Corner is also expected to remain above flood stage all next week. Water levels standat 5.7 metres. Flood stage is 4.8 metres.

Reporting flood damage

The New Brunswick government has announcedseveral measures to help residents beginning to clean upas floodwaters continueto recede, revealing the extent of the damage.

Flood-affected residents who want to have their property assessed by a health and safety team are asked to report damage as soon as possible by calling 1-888-298-8555 or by registering online.

The teams will determine if repairs are needed and will inspect the electrical system to ensure it's safe for NB Power to restore electricity, said EMO.

The damage report line allows residents, tenants, small businesses and not-for-profit organizations to receive information and register their flood-related damage.

How the St. John River floods

6 years ago

Duration 1:26

How high will the St. John River rise this spring, and does the Mactaquac Dam have anything to do with it? A New Brunswick flood, explained.

Free well-water sampling kits can be picked up at designated Service New Brunswick centres in Fredericton, Burton, Chipman, Sussex, Hampton and Saint John and at the Research and Productivity Council beginning May 7.

Private well owners must wait 10 days after floodwaters recede from their wells before beginning the chlorination and sampling process.

Sandbags contaminated by floodwatershould not be kept or reused. They should be disposed of through garbage pickups or at a regional landfill, the Department of Environment and Local Government said.

Anyone unable to remove their sandbags should contact the departmentat 1-833-824-6113 to make arrangements for their removal and disposal.

If people decide to keep the sand, it should not be used in playgrounds, sandboxes or other areas where people will have direct, prolonged exposure, the department cautioned.

Dumping the sand within 30 metres of a watercourse or regulated wetland requires an alteration permit.