**Updated at 2:12 p.m. Thursday**
A strong thunderstorm that moved through Greater Saint John early Thursday morning caused a number of problems.
The storm brought considerable lightning and thunder, along with 46 millimetres of rain at the Saint John Airport.
City works crews are dealing with several flooded streets throughout Saint John caused by the heavy rain.
As of 2 p.m., the following roads remain closed to traffic:
- Bayside Drive at Expansion Avenue
- Leeward Lane between Rivershore Drive and Anchorage Avenue
Platoon Chief Steve Voutour said crews have responded to nearly a dozen reports of flooded basements and fire alarm activations since 5 a.m.
“At one particular time, we had all of our apparatus deployed,” Voutour told our newsroom.
In these situations, Voutour said crews will assess each call once they arrive on the scene and, if needed, can be diverted to more pressing situations, such as a structure fire.
Voutour said this was not the worst rainfall event he has seen but he was surprised by how unexpected it was and how fast the rain fell.
A reminder to avoid any areas in the city that are flooded due to the heavy rain earlier this morning. Please respect any barricades in place and find an alternate route.
— Saint John Police (@saintjohnpolice) July 15, 2021
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