FORT KENT -- The St. John River receded from historic flood levels Thursday as residents and emergency management officials continued to struggle with a record surge of water that swamped homes, business, roads and bridges across Maine's northernmost county.

"We still got a ways to go before we're clear," said Vern Ouellette, director of the Aroostook County Emergency Management Agency. "We've got bridges out everywhere around the whole county."

About a dozen roads and bridges, including international bridges in Fort Kent, Van Buren and Hamlin, were closed because of possible structural damage from the rushing water and debris.

In Fort Kent, the overflowing river flooded more than 100 homes and businesses, and crept up to the base of the pews in the St. Louis Catholic Church. About 600 of the town's 4,200 residents remained out of their homes Thursday.

It was too early to estimate the extent of damage from the flood, the worst in memory for the small communities of the St. John River valley.

"It's hard to know until the water goes down," said Lynette Miller, a spokeswoman for the Maine Emergency Management Agency.

She said the Fort Kent flooding is the type of disaster that, on average, happens once every 100 years. Residents have had their lives turned upside, with much of downtown Fort Kent evacuated and flooded roads cutting off travel.

"You can't sleep," said Catherine Jandreau. "It's a mess down here."

Jandreau cuts hair at A Little Lift Salon and was relieved Thursday to find only the basement flooded. And she was praying for no more rain, and moderate temperatures to avoid the quick melting of ice and snow that still remains up river.

On the south side of Main Street, five cars remained nearly underwater in the parking lots of apartment buildings. "We tried to get them to move their cars, and they wouldn't," said Cecil Hafford, a volunteer firefighter who helped evacuate residents. "They say there's still one guy in (an apartment) who wouldn't leave."

Hafford helped residents try to assess the damage Thursday.

"We've got a big cleanup ahead of us, but that's the thing about this area. Everybody will pitch in. Everybody will help one another. We take everything in stride," Hafford said. "Everybody's just anxious for getting the water out of the way and get things back to normal."

The river crested at a record level of 30.17 feet at Fort Kent at about 7 p.m. Wednesday, said Ouellette. That's 5 feet above flood stage and nearly 3 feet higher than the previous record set in 1979.

The level dropped to 28 feet late Thursday and is expected to drop below 25 feet -- the official flood level -- late today, Ouellette said.

Rising waters in the St. John first raised concerns last week on the Canadian side, where homes also have been flooded and evacuated.

A 3-inch rainstorm early this week, combined with the melting snow, led to a rapid surge Tuesday and Wednesday.

In Fort Kent, the river rose to within 6 inches of overflowing the town's earthen dike. With the top of the levee about 10 feet above of Main Street, officials were visibly relieved Thursday that there was no breach.

"It's contained. It's coming down," Ouellette said after flying over the downtown area Thursday.

Evacuated residents were not immediately allowed to return to their homes, however, because of concern that the dike might still be vulnerable. Maine State Police troopers ordered numerous residents to stay out of the area Thursday, said Sgt. Thomas Pelletier.

Pelletier urged officials to keep people out until the dike could be inspected and declared safe. "If they don't want to (leave) them, let them know they'll be arrested," Pelletier said.

No injuries were reported, although search and rescue crews remained on standby through the night. Dan Chasse had five feet of water in his basement, but knows it could have been a lot worse. His house is next to the town's levee and pointed to where the river came within 18 inches of overflowing it. On the other side of the berm, several feet of floodwater swamped a lumber yard and some side roads along the Fish River.

"Things are improving, but we're not out of the woods yet," Chasse said.

Localized flooding also forced evacuations of homes along the swollen Fish and Aroostook rivers, which swamped parts of Washburn and threatened a dam near the town of Masardis.

The international bridge between Fort Kent and Claire, New Brunswick, stood up to the surge but will be closed at least into the weekend so state engineers can inspect the structure for damage. Maine Department of Transporta-tion engineers won't be able to get a good look until the river falls several more feet, said Pelletier, the State Police sergeant. "We don't anticipate the 23 feet level until tomorrow evening, so they won't be able to inspect the bridge until Saturday morning," he said.

In Van Buren, more than 30 miles east on U.S. Route 1, the cross-border bridge was not believed to be weakened, but flood waters did damage the U.S. Customs port-of-entry building, knocking it off its foundation. That could complicate the reopening of the international bridge there, officials said.

East of Van Buren, the international bridge in Hamlin is a smaller crossing and is one of several bridges around the county that will have to be inspected for damage, Ouellette said.

In Fort Kent, the closest alternative crossing to Canada is about 20 miles away on U.S. Route 1 in Madawaska. "But we can't get to Madawaska," Pelletier said.

Motorists would need to travel another 10 miles or so to get around the flooded roads, he said. Route 161 west of Fort Kent, for example, was still under several feet of water Thursday morning.

Flooding is also causing pollution concerns in Fort Kent and other areas.

Town Manager Don Guimond said five of the town's sewage pump stations were flooded and untreated wastewater was flowing into the river. It was not clear how long it will take, or how much it will cost, to get the treatment system operating, he said.

Heating oil tanks in basements and backyards floated and broke free, releasing the fuel into the floodwaters. Maine's Department of Environmental Protection crews and private contractors cleaned up oil slicks in basements and surface waters along the St. John and Fish rivers.

Officials urged residents in flooded areas to boil well water because of the risk of contamination from the flooded river. Hannaford Bros. Co. and Poland Spring sent truck loads of donated drinking water to Fort Kent and Van Buren late Thursday for evacuees and other residents.

The weather was cooperating, for the most part, but was melting the piles of remaining snow faster than Ouellette liked. No major rainfall was predicted.

"We prefer it cold," he said. "It's supposed to be cold tonight and slow things down again."

Gov. John Baldacci requested disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He and other public officials are expected to visit the Fort Kent area today as attention turns to damage assessments and recovery.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in a written statement that she spoke with FEMA Administrator David Paulison Thursday morning. "Administrator Paulison assured me that he and FEMA stand at the ready and are pledged to do everything that they can," she said.

Maine's Roman Catholic Bishop Richard Malone also released a statement in support of the communities in the St. John River Valley. A special collection will be taken for the victims this weekend, he said.

"I also ask Catholics throughout the rest of the state to support our northern brothers and sisters as they struggle to re-build their homes and lives," Malone said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.