Weekend flooding possible, Saint John warned

While Saint John residents continue to dig out from Monday's snowstorm, the city's Public Works Department has a new concern potential flooding.

With showers and mild temperatures forecastfor this weekend, Paul Groody, the commissioner of municipal operations, said if the snow in the hills surrounding the city"melts too quickly, we have to be concerned about flooding in the various areas of the city."

Environment Canada is expecting temperatures to hit a high of 1 C on Thursday,8 C with showers on Friday and 1 C on Saturday.

This winter's heavy snowfall, including Monday's 37-centimetre blast,has put a major dent in the city's budget.

Saint John has spent about $750,000 more than it would have liked to at this point in the year, Groody said.While the $4.5 million set aside for snow removal has not been exhausted yet, he added, there is still a lot of winter to go.

He said the city might have to find extra cash somewhere else in the municipal operations budget.