Damage assessment underway in Sussex after major flood

A daylong rainstorm left the town of Sussex flooded in many areas, forced 24 people out of their homes and closed more than 12 streets.

Although floodwater from Trout Creek receded Thursday afternoon, the damage had been done and the town is now working to clean up the mess.

Mayor Marc Thorne said he was happy to see the creek well within its banks Friday morning, but that isn't unusual. When Sussex floods, he said it's usually a flash flood, receding just as quickly as it came in.

Thorne said the town is already seeing some damage on municipal infrastructure and many residents likely still have water in their basements. 

"[Cleanup] can be overwhelming when you look at it in its totality," he told Information Morning Saint John. 

Cleanup efforts will begin with getting basement dry and putting dumpsters on the streets for ruined belongings. Thorne said provincial emergency management response teams will also be around Friday assessing the damage.

Sussex chief administrative officer Scott Hatcher said those who were evacuated will likely be first in line for assessments of their homes. He said power had to be shut off to some homes and those likely suffered major damage. 

Hatcher said those individuals who were evacuated would still be in the care of the Red Cross. 

He said all of the roads have reopened, with only superficial damages and small washouts on the shoulders of roads.

If someone had driven through the community at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Hatcher said it would've been hard to tell what had occurred just hours before. 

But make no mistake, he said, "We're hurting today. There's a lot of cleanup to happen."

Residents asked to report damage

On Friday, the provincial government put out a news release alerting residents that they can register damage from the heavy rainfall event. 

The release says the reporting process is essential to determine whether the criteria for a disaster financial assistance program has been met.

The release reminds residents to:

• Contact their insurance companies.
• Take photos of damage.
• Keep receipts of any repairs and replacements.
• Log the time it took for residents or their family members to clean their properties.