Residents living near the East Branch dam in Musquash, a small community in southern New Brunswick have been evacuated from their homes following concerns about water levels at the nearby dam.
New Brunswick’s Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) says 113 residents were evacuated as a safety precaution. They were given vouchers to hotels in Saint John, roughly 20 minutes away from the rural community.
The Musquash Fire and Rescue Department and the RCMP began going door to door around 9 p.m. Saturday night.
Water levels have started to recede and provincial officials continue to monitor and inspect the dam. The EMO says there doesn’t appear to be any damage to the structural integrity of the dam and residents may be able to return to their homes as early as Sunday evening.
“Recorded water levels at the dam have been going down since Saturday night. The Department of Energy and Resource Development continues to monitor the situation and staff are on site inspecting the area,” says Robert Duguay, an EMO spokesperson.
Meantime, strong winds, driving rain and freezing rain have posed challenges for line workers trying to restore power to between 7,500 and 9,000 New Brunswickers experiencing power outages in Kennebecasis Valley and Kings County. Particularly hard-hit were the communities of Quispamsis and Rothesay.
On Sunday, Kent County and the communities around Bouctouche were affected.
According to New Brunswick Power’s most recent assessments, power should be restored to the majority of customers currently experiencing outages by Sunday afternoon.
Residents experiencing an outage due to the storm are encouraged to report it at nbpower.com or 1-800-663-6272. Information on outages is available on the NB Power website.
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