Water levels on St. John River expected to exceed flood stage

New Brunswick’s Department of Public Safety is warning that four water levels on the St. John River are forecast to exceed flood stage today and tomorrow.

In its River Watch 2015 alert, the department noted that “ice has been occurring on the St. John River at and below Grand Falls and in the Tobique and Upsalquitch Rivers.”

Water levels in the St. John River:

• At Fredericton reached the warning stage (6.27 metres) today and are forecast to exceed flood stage (6.7m) Thursday;

• At Jemseg reached warning stage (4.12m) today; forecast to exceed flood stage (4.5m) Thursday;

• At Maugerville reached watch stage (5.43m) today; forecast to exceed flood stage (6.1m) Friday;

• At Sheffield-Lakeville Corner reach the watch stage (4.12m) today; forecast to exceed the flood stage (4.9m) Friday.

“Water levels and flows are forecast to rise over the next 48 hours and to reach flood stage in some areas,” the Department of Public Safety said in its alert. “Water levels in streams and rivers will continue to rise in response to the rainfall and snowmelt which has occurred across the province. As long as ice remains in river systems, there is always the potential for ice jams and localized flooding, as ice continues to break up and move downstream.”

Related: New Brunswick village lifts evacuation order as immediate flood risk diminishes

The alert noted that a state of local emergency remains in effect for areas at risk of flooding within Perth-Andover. The community declared a state of emergency last week over flooding concerns from the St. John River and a mandatory evacuation order was issued for about 300 people.

UPDATED St. John River reaches flood stage in Fredericton http://t.co/Xh28jv3Qsd #NB pic.twitter.com/PKzTbROLn7

— CBC New Brunswick (@CBCNB) April 23, 2015

Massive ice jam on St. John River forces dozens to evacuate homes in Perth-Andover, N.B. http://t.co/8KmXLNFITa pic.twitter.com/9d6P8SaRWb

— CTV News (@CTVNews) April 19, 2015