FREDERICTON – Over 5,000 New Brunswickers are waking up without power after over 24 hours of heavy rain.
Some communities in and around Fredericton and Saint John are experiencing localized flooding. It’s caused school closures in zones seven, eight and nine of the Anglophone West School District.
Over 1,600 are without power in Fredericton, 1,000 in Rothesay and 1,100 in Sussex as of Thursday morning.
The province’s Emergency Measures Organization has been warning residents that the heavy and prolonged rain will create a risk of localized flooding for much of the province into Thursday.
“Anyone that works or lives around rivers need to be on alert,” said Paul Bradley, N.B. EMO spokesperson. “Water levels are expected to rise in the central and southern regions of New Brunswick.”
They say there is a potential for flash flooding and localized flooding in several streams, tributaries and rivers, and water levels are expected to rise in the Nashwaak, Magaguadavic, Kennebecasis and Saint John River Valley watersheds.
“Over the next 24 hours there is a risk of localized flooding pretty much everywhere,” Bradley said.
New Brunswickers in the Saint John, Hopewell Cape and Neguac areas are advised to be on alert for high water levels along the coastline as tides will be at or near maximum levels Wednesday and Thursday.
WATCH BELOW: The city of Saint John is no stranger to flooding and officials are working to make sure everything is in place should the city receive a heavy amount of rain. Andrew Cromwell reports.
The statement says homeowners who have experienced flooding during heavy rain storms in the past should take all necessary precautions including elevating or removing possessions from basements or other low-lying structures and clearing leaves and debris from drains.
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