Water levels are receding in southern New Brunswick, but the high tides of the Bay of Fundy are expected to keep the St. John River swollen for several more days.

The water levels throughout the St. John River basin are declining, said Andy Morton, deputy director with the province's Emergency Measures Organization.

In the Saint John area, though, the levels will continue to rise and fall in response to the tides, Morton said.

Flood water levels had reached 4.96 metres in the Saint John and Quispamsis area on Tuesday. The river was expected to continue to recede to about five metres above sea level by Wednesday morning.

Residents affected by the flooding around the port city should be prepared for the waters to take several days to drain into the Bay of Fundy, Morton said.

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

"So basically we're going to see the water levels reducing slightly over the next 24 hours," Morton said," and hopefully when we look out over the next 48 hours we'll see a more significant drop in water levels."

Almost 330 people in the province remain without power and 64 sections of roads remain closed because of the flooding. About 35 of the roads still underwater are in the Saint John area.

Quispamsis residents living along Gondola Point Road are being asked to reduce their water use after the municipal sewage pump station was submerged.

The water levels will dictate when the station can be operated again, said Gary Losier, director of engineering for Quispamsis. Residents should expect to have to change their water use habits for at least three days, Losier said.

"Those will be the people that will likely be experiencing wastewater backup if they don't have proper backflow prevention in their basement property," Losier said.

At Hardings Point campground near Grand Bay-Westfield, Howard Heans's convenience store became so flooded with water that his ice machine floated away.

"When I came down, it was gone. The ferry operator called me and said, 'Your ice machine is going down the river,' " Heans said.

Heans said he and the ferry operator managed to lasso the machine with a rope and then towed it back to the shore, but not without damaging it first.

"I'm hoping I can wake up some morning and I'll be able to walk on dry ground out here, but I think it's four or five days away," Heans said.

Heans said he expects the damage to his property will costs thousands to repair, and he has already registered for the financial aid package being offered to flood victims.

Deductibles are $1,000 for individual residential claims and $5,000 for small business owners. More than 1,000 people have contacted the aid call centre to begin the process.

The full extent of the impact of the floods in New Brunswick won't be known for weeks, Dick Isabelle, the executive director of police, fire and emergency services for the Department of Public Safety, said at a briefing Tuesday.

The government isn't yet attaching a dollar figure to the damage done in the province, but Isabelle said it is expected that it will be tens of millions of dollars.

Conditions stressful, says resident

Grand Bay-Westfield resident Christine Olsen has stayed in her home despite the water surrounding her home on three sides.

"I've got a heart condition, a lung condition, blood disorder and nerves disorder, so it's been very distressful," Olsen told CBC News.

The emergency reception centre, opened at the Millidgeville Community Centre, will be closing in Saint John at 9 p.m. Tuesday.

Officials in the city said the centre is no longer needed for flood victims.

The other two reception centres, at KBM Club and Dennis Morris Community Centre, will remain open.

Emergency Measures is forecasting the following water levels:

• In Fredericton, the water level is expected to recede to 6.6 metres by Wednesday. Flood stage is 6.5 metres.
• In Maugerville, the water level is expected to recede to 6.1 metres by Wednesday. Flood stage is 6.0 metres.
• In Jemseg, the water level is expected to recede to 5.6 metres by Wednesday. Flood stage is 4.3 metres.
• In Grand Lake, the water level is expected to recede to 5.7 metres by Wednesday. Flood stage is 5.0 metres.
• In Sheffield-Lakeville Corner, the water level is expected to recede to 5.9 metres by Wednesday. Flood stage is 4.8 metres.
• In Oak Point, the water level is expected to reach 5.1 metres by Wednesday. Flood stage is 4.7 metres.
• In Quispamsis and Saint John, the water level is expected to rise to 5.0 metres by Wednesday. Flood stage is 4.2 metres.