CARIBOU, ME — The Aroostook County Emergency Management Agency office recently posted flood safety information on its Facebook page.
With warmer temperatures and rain predicted through Saturday and again early next week, now is the time to prepare for flooding, the agency reminded residents. This would include things such as knowing which roads are the first to flood and having alternate routes, having a communications plan for your family and preparing a basic emergency kit at home in case you get stranded and a “bug out bag” in case you need to evacuate.
“Water levels and flow will continue to rise over the next couple days, but our primary concern at this point is monitoring any areas where ice jams may occur,” said Aroostook EMA Deputy Director Jesse Belanger, Tuesday, April 11, 2017. “Overall, the ice we’re observing is less thick than previous years, which seem promising.”
The Aroostook County Flood Watch Facebook page is also tracking river levels and ice jams throughout the county, and invites residents to post photos, videos and other real time information. The page also shares flood safety tips and other information from NWS.
“We cannot overstate the importance of safety during this time of year,” Belanger said. “Flash flooding is the number one cause of weather-related fatalities in the U.S. Moving water can be very unpredictable, and the currents are very strong.”
The most recent significant flood in the St. John Valley, which caused extensive damage mainly in Fort Kent and Soldier Pond, occurred in 2008. At that time, several days of heavy rain combined with the melting of a deep snowpack. Although the dike protecting downtown Fort Kent held, flood water from the Fish and St. John rivers combined to inundate other parts of the community, leaving numerous houses and business damaged.
