Signs of a return to normalcy appeared in Brantford and Six Nations on Friday, even as both communities remained in states of emergency.

Flows in the Grand River dropped significantly in Brantford Thursday afternoon, following the release of an ice jam in the Tutela Heights area. They continued to fall into Friday, allowing riverside roads and properties to start drying out.

While there had been concern that the ice jam could move downstream and pose a serious problem for communities like Caledonia and Cayuga, officials said most of the ice was thrown out of the river entirely.

As a result, flows in those areas didn’t change significantly from Thursday morning to Friday morning. While still strong enough to cause flooding, the sorts of issues experienced in Brantford earlier this week were not expected to be seen downstream.

Several schools near the river in Brantford were closed Friday for a third straight day. By later afternoon, the city’s list of road closures was down to three, all in traditional low-lying areas – parts of Dufferin Avenue, Gilkison Street and Birkett Lane. Grand River Avenue and other streets could be closed in the future based on momentary conditions, the city warned, while all trails near the river were likely to remain closed for the foreseeable future.

In Six Nations, the Chiefswood Bridge, which had been at risk of closure since Wednesday, remained open. Fourth Line West remained closed between Seneca Road and Bateman Line, while Mohawk Road was closed between Third Line and Fourth Line.

A voluntary evacuation order remained in place for some residents around Fourth and Bateman. Officials said 14 homes were affected by the order.

There were also effects in Brant County, including closures of Lions Park in Paris, where a pedestrian bridge was said to have sustained damage. Lions Park in Burford was also closed, as was the damaged Penman's Pass pedestrian bridge in Pris.

In all areas, officials were urging people near the river to exercise extreme caution due to slippery banks and the continued strong water flows.