Rain and warm temperatures may prompt flooding

The provinces Emergency Measures Organization is warning people who live along rivers and streams to be prepared for flooding in the next few days.

Environment Canada is forecasting warmer temperatures and rain on Monday and that is going to lead to a further melting of the snow pack and ice covers on rivers throughout the province.

The rain combined with the warm temperatures today and tomorrow will definitely promote the surface water runoff to increase and obviously the river levels all over province will be going up, especially in the St. John River basin, said RichardKeeley, an official with the Department of Public Safety.

Claudia Coughlanlives near theNashwaakRiver. She says she checks the river outside her window every morning for flooding.

"We always have lots of food in the house and we have wood heat. So we are prepared that way. And we usually draw off drinking water if we think there's going to be a power outage," she said.

She said she is worried that if the river floods, she and fellow neighbours may become stuck on the dead end road.

"I do have concerns for my 91-year-old mother. If she needed an ambulance, we might not be able to get out," she said. "And we have a neighbour up the road who has muscular dystrophy... so if we're closed off for any amount of time it would be a huge concern."

Keeley said he expects the Nashwaak River will reach flood stage on Tuesday.

An advisory on Sunday from the provincial governments River Watch 2014 program indicated there is a high probability of further ice movement along the St. John River and other systems in the next few days.

With ice movement, there is the potential for ice jams to occur as well as associated flooding. People living in all regions should be prepared and remain a safe distance away from waterways, the advisory said.

New ice jams formed over the weekend on the Nashwaak River, Hammond River and Smith Creek, according to River Watch. These ice jams have the potential to hold back water and cause flooding at any time.

River Watch 2014 says ice jams at Tay Bridge, and also at MacLaggan Bridge, Durham Bridge and Marysvillemay start holdingback water as river levels increase over the next two days.