Flooding strikes communities across Aroostook County

5 years ago

Despite little additional rainfall predicted for Sunday, law enforcement and Aroostook County Emergency Management Agency reported additional road closures across the region.

A flood warning was in effect for rain and snowmelt for southeastern Aroostook County in northern Maine and northeastern Penobscot County in east central Maine until 6 p.m. Sunday.

Police reported flooding in Bancroft, Caribou, Easton, Island Falls, Presque Isle and Washburn.

Pat Maloit, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Caribou, said Sunday that little additional rainfall is expected Sunday into Monday.

“Ongoing river flooding is going to be the major issue at this point,” he said. “It will be the rivers and the small streams and tributaries that are threatening to spill over their banks that will be what people are going to be wondered about.”

Jennifer Mitchum, a Fort Fairfield resident, said Sunday that the ice on the Aroostook River in her community was running “extremely fast.”

“The water is very high here,” she said.

In Washburn, the Aroostook River is at 11.89 feet; flood stage is 14 feet. In Mattawamkeag, the Mattawamkeag River is at 15.56 feet; flood stage is 17 feet.

The St. John River in Fort Kent is at 19.53 feet; flood stage is 22.5 feet.

The Fish River at Fort Kent was at 19.69 feet at 1 p.m.; flood stage is 22.5 feet.

Maloit said that temperatures will be a concern over the coming days.

“It will be in the 60s today,” he said. “That is going to contribute to more melting snow, and it will be more than 50 degrees tomorrow. There will be more rising in the rivers, I predict.”