HALIFAX -- Sixteen people have been displaced by overnight flooding in Sussex, N.B.
Heavy rain Tuesday caused a significant rise in water levels on the Kennebecasis River and Trout Brook flowing through Sussex, causing flooding in the area.
New Brunswick Measures spokesman Geoffrey Downey says a few homes had to be evacuated by boat. He said some have several feet of water in their basements.
Water levels peaked early Wednesday morning and have been receding since after torrential rain fell over parts of the province.
There was a report of 118 millimetres of rain falling in Mechanic Settlement, which is about a 20-minute drive east of downtown Sussex.
"It was evident very early in the evening last night the rainfall intensity was going to go east of the town in the Mechanic Lake area of the upper watershed of the Trout Creek basin and that causes a lot of grief in our community and our surrounding community," said Scott Hatcher, the Town of Sussex CAO.
The low rumbling of running sump pumps can be heard throughout Greg Balcom's neighbourhood, where he and other residents are trying to dry out their homes after being hit by flooding.
"I think five feet is the norm here," said Balcom. "Everyone seems to have gotten five feet of water."
The Canadian Red Cross says it has arranged emergency housing for 16 residents from 11 homes, and are also providing temporary food and lodging.
Area officials were asking residents to stay home and not partake in "disaster tourism," which could put them in the way of response crews or close to the edge of swollen rivers.
Downey said one subdivision in Sussex Corner that is susceptible to flooding saw high water in areas that had not flooded before.
He said it was too early to determine if any structural damage to roads or other infrastructure had resulted.
A number of schools in the area were closed for the day. Downey said some schools had leaking roofs, while others had access issues or had lost power.
More than 4,500 NB Power customers were in the dark as of noon Wednesday, with most located in the Kent, Charlotte Southwest and Acadian Peninsula areas.
The Town of Sussex says, if residents need help, they should call the Town Office at 506-432-4540, unless it is an emergency, in which case they should call 911.
With files from the Canadian Press.
