While some people are evacuating their homes as waters lap into the streets of Fredericton, others are flocking to the expanding riverbanks with cameras in hand.

It's a situation that worries one emergency official.

"Everybody wants to get pictures," said Bob Martin, spokesman for Fredericton's emergency operation centre.

But people are bypassing blockades that emergency officials have put up around the city, Martin said.

The fast-flowing waters that have overtaken parking lots, parks, walking paths and some of the busiest roads in the city are cold and full of debris, Martin said.

Depths of the water may also vary and the state of the road underneath may be compromised, he said.

NB Power crews are also still working to disconnect power in affected areas around the city and people should not be entering flooded areas, he added.

"We don't want people to get injured," Martin said. "We don't want our people to get injured getting those people out of a situation. If you see a barricade — stay behind it. It's there for a reason."

Blockades on many streets will soon be manned by police 24 hours a day until the waters recede, Martin said.

Police will be taking a tough stance on anyone who passes them, he said, whether it's by car, foot, bicycle or boat.

'So now I have some visual evidence'

Dave Nowland's street was among the 43 disappearing under the rising waters of the St. John River on Thursday.

Nowland told CBC News his yard may be starting to resemble a small lake but that it makes for great photos.

"My parents are from P.E.I. and they're in Florida right now so they're not going to believe it when I tell them. So now I have some visual evidence," Nowland said.

Nowland isn't the only one heading out to document the flooding.

With all the schools in Fredericton closed on until Tuesday and many businesses without power and sending their employee homes, hundreds of people are in the downtown are taking pictures of the near-record water levels.

The river reached 8.33 metres on Thursday morning, nearing the 8.6 metre record set in 1973.

Emergency measures officials said Thursday afternoon that the river is expected to crest before the end of the day and can recede slightly to 8.2 metres by Friday.

Officials are not speculating on how long it will take for the waters to fully recede from the city streets.