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It is not called the mighty St. John River for nothing. Last week the largest river in the Maritimes displayed the awesome power and force of rampaging water when the St. John River overflowed its banks, flooding homes and businesses, closing roads and bridges from Edmundston to Saint John.

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For the Upper St. John River valley, it was the largest flood ever that wasn't caused by an ice jam. The melting snow pack and heavy rain meant the water levels kept rising and rising well past the flood stages from Grand Falls to Woodstock. The massive muddy waters inundated flood prone areas like Perth-Andover and Bristol, leaving locals to simply stare at the awesome power of the river, and thank Mother Nature that all that water did not arrive when the river ice was still intact.

The New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization and the province deserve credit for providing leadership during this crisis. Veterans of similar floods recall times when the provincial organizations were not nearly as organized. This year, thanks to better computer modeling and more accurate weather forecasts, warnings of potential flood hazards were delivered days ahead of the actual event. The provincial EMO team and other provincial departments also provided accurate and up to date information on closed roads, water levels and predictions of what the river was going to do. That interdepartmental cooperation and concerted effort to get vital information out greatly helped valley residents. It was not always this way.

With the flood waters receding comes the hard and sometimes expensive cleanup work. Federal and provincial disaster assistance programs will help residents and business owners clean up their property damage and get on with their lives. Premier Shawn Graham announced that unlike the 2005 flood, the deductible for damages will be $1,000 for residents and $5,000 for small businesses, plus the government will not charge any fees to reconnect hydro, test wells or do electrical inspections. The province will also provide assistance teams to perform health and safety inspections, to assess damage and determine what repairs are required for residents to safely return to their homes. Advance parties comprised of Red Cross volunteers have begun visiting areas where flooding has receded. They will be providing advice and detailed recovery information to anyone who needs it.

There is no doubt that the cleanup and repair for the hundreds of residents and business affected by this disaster will cost millions, but the priority should not be on the final price tag. The provincial and federal governments should instead work to ensure displaced residents' lives get back to normal as soon as possible. Flood victims who want to apply for assistance can call 1-888-298-8555, or visit the Service New Brunswick website at www.snb.ca/EMO.