Now is the time of year to start preparing for potential flooding along the Saint John River.
Water levels along the river and its tributaries have been on the rise, but none are currently above flood stage.
Geoffrey Downey with New Brunswick EMO says you should stay away from waterways as they are dangerous this time of year.
“It’s moving quickly, it’s cold, there’s ice, there’s trees, there’s all kinds of stuff moving through it. We really need people to keep a good safe distance,” said Downey.
Two communities were at the flood watch alert level as of Saturday, including Gagetown and Woodstock.
NBEMO said that means water levels in those areas are within one metre of flood stage.
Thirteen other communities are at flood advisory level, or within two metres of flood stage.
They include Saint John-Quispamsis, Hampton, Oak Point, Jemseg, Grand Lake, Sheffield-Lakeville Corner, Maugerville, Fredericton, Durham Bridge, Simonds (Carleton County), Saint-Léonard, Saint-Hilaire, and Clair.
Gagetown is the only community expected to surpass flood stage over the next few days.
Downey said just because the river is not at flood stage in your community does not mean there is no threat.
“If you do have a property that’s traditionally prone to flooding, make sure there’s nothing that can get swept away,” said Downey.
“Before it even makes it into your basement, make sure you don’t have any valuables in there.”
You can find the most up-to-date information through the province’s River Watch website.
The River Watch five-day forecast for the lower St. John River is available at https://t.co/fZk4PzYqtt
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The River Watch five-day forecast for the upper St. John River is available at https://t.co/ULG3xdwsrN pic.twitter.com/D47QV4I6fE— NBEMO / OMUNB (@NBEMO_OMUNB) April 15, 2022
