FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — Local police have closed the Russell Road due to flooding.
The Fort Fairfield Police Department reported closing the road from Riverside Cemetery to the McName Road.
The low-lying Russell Road, which runs along the north side of the Aroostook River and the border with Canada, commonly floods each spring.
Police said the ice on the river is clearing out and the town is running its pumping station as a flood prevention measure.
This spring marks the 25th anniversary of the devastating flood of 1994, which left Fort Fairfield’s Main Street under five feet of water and led to the creation of the protective dike.
The National Weather Service in Caribou said that a flood watch remains in effect Tuesday, and that the Aroostook and St. John rivers will be on the rise this week amid wet weather.
The highest risks for flooding according to the NWS meteorologists are in areas that have seen ice jams this past winter. Flood threats are also present in small streams that are already flowing at or near their banks, which could lead to flooding in lowland areas.
In southern Aroostook County, flood warnings are also in effect for the Mattawamkeag River watershed, where the weather service said the river is likely to rise above its flood stage by Thursday.
Aroostook EMA Director Darren Woods suggested County residents check out the Aroostook County Flood Watch Facebook page, launched with the purpose of notifying folks of any floods. The page contains notifications about potential flooding emergencies and the public is also welcome to submit pictures of floods or bodies of water that are near flooding.
In addition, people looking to find out about road conditions, can visit the traveller information system website New England 511 at /newengland511.org.
