New Brunswick is shuttering a large section of the Trans-Canada Highway and warning motorists to be on watch for wildlife seeking refuge as floodwaters rise to record levels along the Saint John River.
Barricades closing the four-lane highway between Moncton and Fredericton were to go up at 7 p.m. local time Thursday, the latest and most significant roadway closure in the flood-weary province, with forecasts threatening more rain.
WATCH: Water is spilling into homes and streets in Gagetown, leaving residents scrambling to save what they can. Adrienne South has the latest.
READ MORE: Flooding forces highway closure between Moncton and Fredericton
Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Bill Fraser said in all 81 roads and bridges have been closed to traffic, while dozens of other roadways and ramps are partially closed.
WATCH: Chief meteorologist Anthony Farnell has a New Brunswick flood update from the SkyTracker Weather Centre
The record floodwaters have sent the province into “uncharted territory,” Geoffrey Downey of the Emergency Measures Organization said Thursday.
He said the river has hit 5.4 metres above sea level – water levels not seen since 1973 – and will likely exceed that on Saturday when forecasts say it could reach 5.8 metres.
WATCH: New Brunswick residents urged to leave homes as floodwaters rise
Downey said the rising Saint John River is causing more people to evacuate in areas stretching from Fredericton south to Saint John, where the situation is expected to worsen in the coming days.
“The problem is we’re venturing into uncharted territory,” he said. “Who knows how far it’s going to go up, so how many homes is it now going to reach?”
He said roughly 100 homes have been evacuated, affecting about 260 people, but that those numbers are expected to climb.
The province has also shut down its river ferries with the exception of the Gondola Point ferry, which continues to cross the Kennebecasis River.
The EMO in Saint John is recommending that anyone in low lying areas along the Saint John River “evacuate their homes immediately with their pets and seek accommodation with family or friends,” the municipality said in a statement. That includes Randolph and the Westfield Road area along with Ragged Point and Beach roads.
“We encourage people to get out in daylight, get out while there is still some dry land around them,” Fraser said.
“We recognize that flooding is an annual event for many in New Brunswick who live and work along the Saint John River. They may be used to it and they may not feel any sense of urgency to evacuate but this year is very different.”
Elsewhere, the community of Jemseg has surpassed historic records, while several other areas including Sheffield, Grand Lake and Oak Point are expected to hit record-breaking flood levels.
Transportation Department spokesman Jeremy Trevors said the Trans-Canada Highway around Jemseg also had water on it. He added that roads further north in Miramichi and Bathurst had also been closed by flooding.
READ MORE: N.B. officials urge people to evacuate their neighbourhoods as floodwaters rise
The Trans-Canada Highway detour, affecting both eastbound and westbound lanes between Moncton and Fredericton, is “in excess of a couple hundred kilometres” in part because of the widespread road closures surrounding the highway, Fraser said.
He cautioned motorists not to cross barricades, noting that even if water has receded the road must be inspected before it’s reopened. He said roads could be “compromised” and cave in or collapse under the weight of a vehicle.
Fraser said a significant number of moose and deer have been spotted on roadways as wildlife are flooded out of low-lying wooded areas. He warned motorists to use caution on the roads, especially in areas where wildlife sightings are common.
Downey said the EMO was busy fielding calls from people looking for sandbags and help evacuating.
“People are asking for all kinds of sand and sandbags – that’s a huge one right now,” he said. “We’re still doing evacuations and we’re encouraging anyone who self-evacuates and doesn’t need help that they register with the Red Cross as well.”
The provincial government launched the Disaster Financial Assistance program on Wednesday to help businesses, municipalities and individuals who have suffered damage during the current flood.
Premier Brian Gallant – who said the province has asked the Canadian Coast Guard for help – said damage has already been reported and is likely to get worse in the days ahead.
WATCH: Homeowners in race against time as Saint John flood waters continue to rise
The maximum assistance for private homes is $160,000, and $500,000 for small businesses and not-for-profit organizations. Coverage is provided to repair and clean structures and to replace basic necessities, but is not available for recreational properties.
Oromocto fire Chief Jody Price said boats are being used to rescue people from homes across the river in Maugerville, and the longer people wait to leave, the harder it is to get to them.
“The higher the water gets – and it has been a continual rise – it is more difficult for us. We went from Friday, when we could get people out of there with vehicles, to today, where we can’t go over there without a boat,” Price said.
And unless it’s an emergency, Price said people need to be moved during the daylight hours.
“We don’t send our boats and our crews in after dark for the safety of our crews. We need to move people out of there in the day time. We are urging people if you want to come out, or are thinking about coming out, then we need you to come out now,” he said.
Price said the levels of the floodwaters are the highest he has ever seen.
Cooke Aquaculture is sending a truck loaded with 10,000 sandbags to Grand Bay-Westfield to support flood relief efforts. The company in Blacks Harbour also has boats and equipment on standby to assist, if needed.
In Saint John, the huge volumes of water in the river can only release into the Bay of Fundy at low tide, but even high tides have met their match this week against the strong currents at the city’s Reversing Falls.
Saint John resident Graeme Scott, whose home overlooks the convergence of the Saint John and Kennebecasis rivers, said he’s safe because he lives on a hill, but he’s not so sure about many of his neighbours. He said their houses are tucked into the hillside with one storey on the street and two storeys facing the water side.
“Some of their foundations are probably getting within a foot or so (of the water) and there are some people on the point that have done a bunch of sandbagging yesterday around the front of the houses,” said Scott.
“It’s right at the max of what we’ve seen before.”
With files from Alison Auld, Keith Doucette and Brett Bundale in Halifax
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