Floodwaters in the Saint John area are now expected to surpass last year’s record-breaking levels.
Water levels reached 5.2 metres on Wednesday morning — a full metre above flood stage.
They are forecast to reach 5.8 metres on Friday before falling to 5.6 metres on Sunday and Monday. The river peaked at 5.76 metres in 2018.
For those in the Fredericton area, there is a mix of good and bad news.
The Saint John River is forecast to drop about a metre by Saturday to 7.2 metres, but then go back up to 7.9 metres by Monday.
Water levels in Maugerville, Sheffield, Lakeville Corner, and Grand Lake are expected to remain nearly unchanged over the next five days.
Saint John issued a voluntary evacuation notice on Monday night for about 600 residents living along the Saint John River. Several roads in the greater Saint John area are also closed due to flooding.
The flood level today is 5.2m
The forecast level is expected to reach 5.8m by Friday, which is almost 2 feet above where water levels are today. This will exceed last year's peak flood day.
Stay connected and safe: https://t.co/uy5VwpGNBS pic.twitter.com/nJqNMEh2cW— City of Saint John (@cityofsaintjohn) April 24, 2019