enlarge AP Photo/The Canadian Press

A resident talks on his phone as he barbecues on his power boat at his home along the flood-swollen St. John River in Sheffield, New Brunswick on Friday.

Read articles from the 1979 flooding at Fort Kent

Click here to see our comprehensive coverage of the northern Maine flooding.

AFTER-THE-FLOOD ADVICE

Residents with property damage, which can include damage to homes or personal items such as clothing, should document their losses with photographs, cost estimates and receipts whenever possible.

The documentation will help with private insurance policies and when it comes time to apply for government aid.

For information on flood insurance, private wells and mold, as well as tips on repairing damaged homes, call 211 or visit www.maine.gov/mema, www.maineprepares.com or www.211maine.org  for emergency information, health and safety, clean-up advice and other tips.

Residents also should file damage reports with 211 Maine, a nonprofit agency that works closely with state government. Call 211 or visit www.211maine.org.

Emergency management officials advise the public to use caution in finding reliable contractors to perform cleanup and rebuilding work.

FORT KENT — Some roads remained impassible and bridges closed on Saturday while damage assessments continued along the St. John River in northern Maine following this week's devastating spring flood.

"The focus has been shifted to recovery and getting people back into their homes," Maine Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Lynette Miller said as the river remained below flood stage.

Closed highways included portions of state Route 11, one of the region's major roads, said the Aroostook Emergency Management Agency's Darren Woods. While damage assessments were being done from the ground, warden pilots photographed 227 homes from the air that have been flooded.

Officials said more flood-damaged homes are expected to be catalogued in the days ahead."We're still sheltering people in three communities — Fort Kent, Van Buren and Island Falls," said Woods.

Damage-assessment teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are expected to arrive in the area early this week. Miller noted that other areas of Maine, including Penobscot County, have also sustained flood damage.

MEMA asked those whose homes or businesses were damaged by flooding to call 211 and report their losses. MEMA Director Robert McAleer said the call is not an application for assistance, but to help officials assess what kinds of assistance might be available.

"We're asking people to report in, so that we know the extent of damages," said McAleer.State Attorney General Steven Rowe, meanwhile, warned flood victims to be wary of scams. He said door-to-door salespeople hit the streets after natural disasters offering cleanup and repair services. While many of those people are reputable, some are not.

Along the Canadian banks of the river, boil-water advisories were in effect in some New Brunswick communities and motorists were being urged to watch for moose wandering on highways.

Canadian officials said water levels were on the decline in the upper reaches of the St. John, but the crest was moving downstream, causing headaches in such areas as Sheffield and Jemseg, south of Fredericton.

Dry, sunny weather was expected to continue throughout the weekend, giving waterlogged residents a bit of a break as they survey the damage to their properties. The federal and provincial governments said disaster aid will be offered, but some residents...