Spring starts on Thursday, and ice is breaking up and on the move in Aroostook County.
Recent warmth and daylong rain on Monday melted snow and ice, causing rivers to rise and frozen chunks to back up in places. Some roads were covered with water Tuesday morning, according to the Aroostook County Flood Watch social media page, operated by the Aroostook Emergency Management Agency.
Cold nights, however, have helped stabilize the melting and there is no imminent flooding at this point, agency Deputy Director Derrick Ouellette said.
“Any rising waters we were watching yesterday have stabilized. There are some ice jams on the Aroostook River where the St. Croix comes out,” Ouellette said. “They’re not causing any issue right now.”
So far the greatest ice movement is in central and southern parts of the region, mainly with smaller streams and brooks that flow into larger rivers, he said. Ice is starting to degrade on the St. John River as well.
Roads that were overflowing this morning are no longer flooding for now, Ouellette said.
While some areas were approaching moderate flood threat, those levels have decreased to normal as of Tuesday afternoon, he said. Officials will continue monitoring, as even warmer temperatures Wednesday and Thursday could lead to faster melting.
The National Weather Service called for highs of around 45 degrees Wednesday and into the lower 50s on Thursday.
“Ice still remains on the Aroostook and Saint John rivers, which poses the risk for ice jam flooding,” said Louise Fode, warning coordination meteorologist with the weather service in Caribou. “We haven’t seen any rapid rises of the river to indicate a jam is affecting river flow, but conditions can change rapidly.”
While northern Maine has no current warnings, the threat of ice jams is elevated in north-central and eastern parts of Maine, the weather service reported in its most recent flood outlook, issued for March 12-20.
Local police departments will block off any roads affected by flooding and, for safety reasons, people should not cross any of those barricades, Fode said.
Emergency officials will continue to monitor water and ice levels.
People should pay attention to posted warnings and be prepared to turn around if they encounter a flooded road, Ouellette said.
“Don’t drive across a flooded road because you can’t see what’s under the water. The road might have degraded and be unstable,” he said. “If the pavement is swept away, your vehicle could be swept away as well.”
