A candidate for the May 12 municipal elections paddles into flooded homes in Grand Bay-Westfield. (Submitted by Doug Glew)The worst of the flooding of the St. John River is over in much of New Brunswick but high tides are expected to keep water levels above the flood stage in the lower reaches of the river for days.

In the Saint John area, at the mouth of the river, residents will likely notice the water increase and decrease with the tides as the river drains into the Bay of Fundy, Andy Morton, deputy director of the province's Emergency Measures Organization told a briefing on Monday afternoon.

At high tides — considered the highest in the world — the water in the bay acts like a dam, preventing the river from emptying.

The 673-kilometre St. John River stretches from its headwaters in Maine to the port city of Saint John, draining 55,000 square kilometres of land.

The river level was at 4.96 metres above sea level in the Saint John area on Monday afternoon. It was expected to reach 5.1 metres on Tuesday before beginning to recede on Wednesday.

About 150 households in Saint John have been affected by the flood waters, said Nancy Moar, spokeswoman for the Emergency Measures Organization in the city.

Almost 35 roads in the Saint John area remained closed on Monday morning because of the flood waters.

Darlings Island, near Hampton, also remains cut off from the mainland because of the flood waters, and residents are able to cross only by a boat service offered by the Department of Natural Resources.

The water is expected to crest in the Saint John area at 5.1 metres on Tuesday before beginning to recede on Wednesday.

People seem fascinated with the flooding and are flocking toward the high waters, Moar said. Officials are asking that people not go near the flooded river.

"We are really stressing the fact that they stay away from the flood-affected areas," she said.

Basements, yards flooded

The road connecting Darlings Island to the mainland remained flooded on Monday. (Submitted by Roy Hess) Grand Bay-Westfield resident Claudine Snow said the water is the highest she's seen in the 11 years she's lived in the area.

Debbie Fowler, a resident of the same community, said her basement has filled with 16 centimetres of water and now smells like a sewer.

"It smells really bad," Fowler said. "I believe it might be sewer because there is a pumping station at the end of the street and they said it might be overflowing. So I believe that's what's in my house now."

Fowler said she expects to have to pull up her carpet and may even have to tear down some of the Gyproc walls.

"It's disheartening because it's going to cost a lot of money to fix it up," she said.

Fowler added she isn't sure her flooded yard will fare much better.

"The greenhouse, for sure we'll lose that," she said. "The boys' camp may be completely rotted, the fencing, the tin shed … the decking, I just don't know."

Kim McCurdy and her husband have set up their motor home in a friend's driveway after their Grand Bay-Westfield street was evacuated after its power was cut.

"This is going to be a huge mess," McCurdy said.

McCurdy said she expects to be out of her home for at least a week and can currently reach the property only by kayak.

Waters begin to recede

The flood waters are expected to crest in Saint John on Monday. (Submitted by Peter Larsen)Almost 420 people across the province are still without power and about 70 sections of road are still underwater.

But the river levels are now cresting throughout the province, Morton said, and will begin to recede in the coming days.

The flooding began with the spring snow melt but was compounded when 100 millimetres of rain fell in the northern part of the province, southern Quebec and Maine, which funnelled into the St. John River.

The river crested at 8.33 metres in Fredericton, shy of the historic high of 8.63 metres set in 1973.

At the peak of the flood more than 800 people had registered with the Red Cross after leaving their homes. Many more left their flooded properties but depended on the help of family and friends, Premier Shawn Graham told CBC News Monday.

The province is entering a period of dry, warm weather, which will help the water recede, Morton said.

There is, however, a weather system travelling toward the province from the south that could bring water to New Brunswick later in the week.

Morton said it's impossible to predict right now how much rain the system may bring. But the water will have likely receded enough by the time it hits that it will not return the river to the high levels that have been seen in the past week.

Despite the receding waters, residents should remember that the river will remain above flood stage throughout the river basin for some time, Morton said. "The situation has not gone away."

New Brunswickers must continue to use caution as they return to their properties and as roads reopen, he said.

Hydroplaning, sink holes and animals driven to higher ground by the flood waters remain a concern, Morton said.

'Life-altering event' for some, says official

Chuck Sanderson, executive director for Manitoba's Emergency Measures Organization, has travelled to New Brunswick to aid in the recovery stage the province is now entering.

The damages caused by the flooding of the St. John River run a full spectrum of impacts, Sanderson told CBC News.

"You go from a nuisance issue to a complete life-altering event," he said.

In the northern part of the province, near the border of Maine, almost 100 millimetres of rain caused what amounted to a flash flood. Houses filled with water and smaller homes were even spotted floating down the river.

In the low-lying areas to the southeast of Fredericton, many area farms flooded to the point that livestock had to be rescued.

The province is offering a financial aid package to flood victims. The call centre, which can be reached at 1-888-298-8555, had already received 325 calls by Monday afternoon.

No dollar amount has yet been attached to the damages the flood has caused in the province, Graham said. The premier said it will take weeks before that kind of assessment can be done as the province moves into a recovery phase.

Deductibles are $1,000 for individual residential claims and $5,000 for small business owners.

Free water testing, electrical assessments and pickup of debris will also be included in the package, Graham said.

"This is going to be a very stressful time for the next two to three weeks, longer in some parts of the province," said the premier.

Seven health and safety inspection teams began entering areas where the waters have begun to recede on Monday, said provincial fire marshal Benoit Laroche.

The five-member teams are comprised of specialists in electrical inspections, gas and fire prevention, structural housing damage and public health, Laroche said. It is expected each team will be able to examine about 15 properties a day, he said.

Emergency Measures is forecasting the following water levels:

• In Fredericton, the water level is expected to recede to 6.7 metres by Tuesday. Flood stage is 6.5 metres.
• In Maugerville, the water level is expected to recede to 6.2 metres by Tuesday. Flood stage is 6.0 metres.
• In Jemseg, the water level is expected to recede to 5.7 metres by Tuesday. Flood stage is 4.3 metres.
• In Grand Lake, the water level is expected to increase to 5.8 metres by Tuesday. Flood stage is 5.0 metres.
• In Sheffield-Lakeville Corner, the water level is expected to recede to 5.9 metres by Tuesday. Flood stage is 4.8 metres.
• In Oak Point, the water level is expected to reach 5.3 metres by Tuesday. Flood stage is 4.7 metres.
• In Quispamsis and Saint John, the water level is expected to rise to 5.1 metres by Tuesday. Flood stage is 4.2 metres.