SAINT JOHN, N.B. - It's another anxious day of battling floodwaters in southern New Brunswick.
The water continued to rise in the Saint John area Saturday as volunteers packed sandbags, and the Coast Guard deployed boats and staff to help with evacuations and patrols.
Kevin Clifford, the director of Emergency Management for Saint John, said water levels in the city were at 5.6 metres, or 1.4 metres above flood stage on Saturday, and were expected to peak around 5.9 metres today.
Premier Brian Gallant filled sandbags in the community of Quispamsis Saturday, while Fisheries and Oceans Minister Dominic LeBlanc surveyed the flood zone by helicopter. The New Brunswick MP later said the level of the water and the amount of damage was unprecedented.
Officials are telling people in at-risk areas to strongly consider evacuation before they are isolated. About 360 households, consisting of roughly 850 people, have registered with the Red Cross, however, not all of them have evacuated.
The flooding is also affecting wildlife, with deer now spotted grazing in residential areas, and the four-lane Trans-Canada highway between Fredericton and Moncton remains closed due to flooding.