New Brunswick’s annual River Watch program begins its new season Monday, with a new observation system being introduced.
People hired this year by the provincial government to monitor levels along waterways are being equipped with laptop computers.
The hope is for information on changing water levels to be sent much faster to emergency management officials.
The so-called ‘NB River Ice Observation System’ was developed and tested last year to be ready for 2014.
With this year’s flood watch officially on, people are still adding up damages from floods and ice jams in 2013.
Members of the Stanley Fire Department have until the end of the week to finish tallying damages from ice jams that wreaked havoc in the fire hall last March.
Fire chief Shawn Sampson said more than $200,000 in damages have already been recorded from those floods.
“We had everything put up almost 10 inches, so if we do end up with a flood of less than 10 inches we shouldn’t really have too much to replace,” he said.
With files from CTV's Nick Moore
