An ice jam which damaged 12 properties in Stanley, N.B. two weeks ago finally broke free this past weekend.
However, a separate jam down the road in MacLaggan Bridge continues to block the Nashwaak River, and today’s rain, snow and above-freezing temperatures are adding to concerns about rising river levels.
“At the moment, there are no other ice jams that we’re aware of, but if there’s ice on the river, everybody should be watching,” says Nadine Caissie-Long of New Brunswick River Watch.
Miranda Clarke lives just down river from the MacLaggan Bridge. She says she is keeping watch of the ice jam.
“The neighbours are quite concerned with it,” says Clarke. “They’re worried about us getting stuck here, kind of, not being able to get through Stanley way or the other way.”
Officials say the next few hours will be critical before things improve.
“It’s actually going to stabilize,” says Caissie-Long. “It should stabilize with the cold weather and it should decline again, the water levels.”
Officials with River Watch New Brunswick say they will have a better idea about whether people who live along the Nashwaak River can reduce their vigilance, as soon as they can go into the woods.
“We’re doing a snow survey this week, so we’ll know a lot more about what’s left of snow across the province, especially in forested areas, which is places we don’t see,” says Caissie-Long.
Government officials are also asking people living or working in flood-prone areas to be on alert for the possibility of a sudden rise in water levels or movement of ice.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Nick Moore
