BS: New England Floods

Subject: BS: New England Floods
From: SINSULL
Date: 16 May 06 - 01:11 PM

I drove through New Hampshire yesterday along some pretty scary roads. Flooding everywhere and dams in danger of letting go.
How is everyone faring? Cumberland County is under a flood alert but so far only minor inconveniences. York County however is under water and many homes and businesses have been flooded out just in time for the Memorial Day opening of the tourist season.

My furnace is out and the sevice man is amazed that my basement is dry. Apparently I am among the few not yet under water. Rain is expected for the next four days - SIGH. So how is everyone else?

Subject: RE: BS: New England Floods
From: Anonny Mouse
Date: 16 May 06 - 01:17 PM

I guess considering yourself "lucky" may be a bit of a stretch. While we are not usually at the mercy of floods in WNY, blizzards, ice storms (shutting down power for hours or days), and ultra-cold weather, taxing utilities, heat, etc. are part of our existence. The scary thing about weather is that you CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! Between the fires in Florida, tornados in the mid-west, and flooding in the northeast, this is the "mean season." Period. My heart goes out to all of you!

Subject: RE: BS: New England Floods
From: jacqui.c
Date: 16 May 06 - 01:24 PM

That trip through New Hampshire WAS scary. At one point we were wondering if we would be able to make it back last night, in view of the closed roads, but managed in the end.

We have water in the cellar, but it isn't quite as free flowing as it has been in the past and the 'lake' in the yard hasn't got quite as big as it usually does. However, the ground is sodden, as I found out when walking Seamus today and it's still raining on and off. Minor problems when considering those folk further south who have been flooded out.

Subject: RE: BS: New England Floods
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 16 May 06 - 01:32 PM

Got home later than expected last evening from a folk gathering in Connecticut. Wet weekend there, but no flooding. Knew our neck of the woods was in for it though. Rominy Jergens had heard that her office (Oyster River Real Estate) in Newmarket, NH was under water. The sump pump silted up. Her office was the hardest hit (as of Saturday) in the building. This flooding is worse than the flooding in '87(?) when I was the last car through Rte. 108 close to Oyster River RE before they closed the road. From Rte. 125 on the way home I saw that another advertiser (in my publication, the Real Estate Guide) in Epping -- Country Crossings -- is under water. I think that's th Lamprey River. Our house is near the top of a hill and any water coming down the hill or driveway and going into the cellar (Tom just got the furnace started and there's a couple inches of water dpown there) will flow right out the downhill cellar door. My major concern over the weekend was our roof.

Pete & Joanne from Essex, MA were getting phone calls from their kids on Saturday that the cellar was flooded and the house cut off, but they didn't seem too worried. They headed home -- as planned -- Sunday, but we haven't yet heard how they made out.

It was a long trip home -- especially around Lawrence & Haverhill, MA where exits were closed and traffic on 495 slowed way down -- partially curiosity factor. The Merrimac definitely seemed to take up a lot more space than it should -- mostly in people's yards, etc.

We picked up our diabetic cat Mortimer from the vet where he boarded over the weekend -- late, but they were still there. We had heard that Freeman Hall Road in Nottingham was closed and suspected it was the swampy area between Rte. 4 and Priest Rd. (our road), but it turned out to be the bridge coming the other way from Rte. 152. (But that wasn't a particular surprise.)

So...since there were no warning signs or anything on Rte. 152, we headed towards home which is just on the other side of beautiful downtown Nottingham. Went over the bridge on the curve by the brick house -- and the wild water of the North River was right up to the bridge and shooting out the (lower) rapids as if out of a huge fire hose. And what did we find further on? The other end of the North River was entirely over Rte. 152 and Flutter Street up in the center of Nottingham -- library on one side, town offices and police on the other. So turned around and went back five miles to Rte. 125 (over the iffy bridge again, breath held) then to Lee Traffic Circle and Rte. 4 west. And Freeman Hall Road was dry to Priest Road and closed, of course, for the bridge right after. The bridge must have gone early because there were concrete barriers in the road and cops, etc.

And home we found numerous phone messages, most urgently from my mother who KNEW we were in Connecticut over the weekend, but I think she called not that long before we got home.

So there's a damp spot (and a continuing drip) on the floor between the kitchen and living room but no visible damage anywhere. There were probably other leaks in the bathroom because the towels and bathtub are wet, but the rug on the floor wasn't.

Mortimer had a calmer stay at Camp Cat than he did the last time, but he barfed on the looooong roundabout way home.

Looks like I'll have to drive all over hell and gone to get to work tomorrow. The long three sides of a box instead of the direct route. And Tom decided before we got to Nottingham that he was going to take today as a flood day.

Jeri had a roundabout way home from our place, but I guess she went to work in Dover today. Most schools were closed, but our up the hill neighbor's daughter who goes to an Arts charter school in Dover had school today.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: New England Floods
From: Kaleea
Date: 16 May 06 - 01:45 PM

Very sorry to hear about the flooding-I'm praying that folks, critters, et al are going to be OK & taken care of by the deciders of the world.

(Evidently, there ARE people who care about New Hampshire!)

Subject: RE: BS: New England Floods
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 May 06 - 02:00 PM

Phew! I remember a few times when we lived back there, roads being flooded over, bridges closed, etc. But, this sounds a lot worse than most of those times. BTW, Night Owl was doing fine, though soggy ground, out on the Cape. She said the news was predicting imminent dam breaking, though, up north near Boston, (That was last night.)

Stay safe, ya'll. Wish I could trade ya. We're reaching into the low 90's at 17 degrees above average this week and clear, sunny skies!

Subject: RE: BS: New England Floods
From: gnu
Date: 16 May 06 - 03:17 PM

Linn... screw work if it's the least bit unsafe. Don't let that nasty boss make you feel like you owe the comapny your life. Please be careful... caution is the better part of valour.

You too, ye Mainers all.

I have been watching the news in awe. It's absolutely beautiful weather here, just to the north. We actually have a bit of rain starting now, but it's not forecast to be much at all. We actually need some rain for the crops.

Take care, all of ye.

Subject: RE: BS: New England Floods
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 16 May 06 - 03:31 PM

Well, last October it was our part of New Hampshire that got it, but this time they way we've been spared, so far at least. The rivers and streams are as high as I remember them since last fall, but no major flooding as yet. However, there's a bigger puddle in my back yard than there has ever been since I lived here, because 6 inches down it's still frozen!
My heart goes out to those to the East and South of here- may your basements be dry, and your whistles wet!

Subject: RE: BS: New England Floods
From: Barry Finn
Date: 16 May 06 - 04:52 PM

Hi Mary you didn't mentioned that you had that scary ride after you droped me off in your PM. It sounds like you did some back tracking our you had to do at the least quite a bit of navigating to make your way. Sorry New Hampshire was tossing you a curve. Seems like Manchester to our north & Salem to our south & Portsmouth to our east was hit harder than us. Good luck to all.
Barry

Subject: RE: BS: New England Floods
From: Jeri
Date: 16 May 06 - 06:25 PM

I got home ok yesterday, and didn't notice any problems. I couldn't hear muskrats or beavers or anything in the basement, figured I was safe and didn't look. I just did, and there isn't too much water - maybe 3/4" in some places and bone dry in others. In the damper places, the water's not deeper because I have some lovely absorbent things down there: boxes of books. Most are crap, some are very old. There's a box of old (and I mean OLD) photos is on top of another box, so it's ok. I suppose I could stand to lose some of that stuff, but I know I'm gonna cry over some of it.

Subject: RE: BS: New England Floods
From: GUEST,Pamela in Ithaca
Date: 16 May 06 - 07:51 PM

Hello New England friends.
I've been thinking about you... and glad to hear that things
are mostly well. At least no lives are lost or damaged.
Things are replacable, though that can be a royal pain in the ass.

Here in central NY we're finally getting some of the rain we need.
If only there was a way to redirect weather systems, and
even things out a bit.

I had a truely lovely time with you all in Conn.
(even if it was cool and damp) Take care of each other.

Subject: RE: BS: New England Floods
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 17 May 06 - 12:23 PM

Had to drive all over hell and gone this morning to get to work -- 3 sides of a box instead of the direct roads. But called and found out Ash Swamp Road is open, so tonight on my way home I'll take my chances that Wadleigh's Falls bridge on Rte. 152 is open (and the lower section of river before the Percheron farm).

The bridge through Nottingham is open again. Freeman Hall Road bridge is out of commission until it's rebuilt.

My co-worker said the rainbow over the ocean at Hampton Beach yesterday was magnificent. In Nottingham, we kept looking for the rainbow, but it didn't happen (or we couldn't see it for the trees).

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: New England Floods
From: Susan A-R
Date: 17 May 06 - 01:36 PM

Glad to hear that folks are coming through pretty well. We're just gloomy and damp up here in central Vermont. I think I've glimpsed the sun about 5 times (all for less than five minute intervals) in the past week. The basement is damp, which fascinates the cat, but that's about it.

Subject: RE: BS: New England Floods
From: Sorcha
Date: 17 May 06 - 02:25 PM

Where's Alba?

Subject: RE: BS: New England Floods
From: gnu
Date: 17 May 06 - 02:57 PM

Gosh... it was supposed to arrive here last night and today was supposed to be a deluge. But, it's 23C and sunny and humid. I suppose ye fellers are hanging on to it so's ye can send it up here for our long weekend.

Subject: RE: BS: New England Floods
From: SINSULL
Date: 17 May 06 - 06:23 PM

Alba is north and west of the water, I believe. Sunny here most of the day. My neighbor's ark is still in place so I guess we dodged the bullet.

Subject: RE: BS: New England Floods
From: bbc
Date: 17 May 06 - 07:29 PM

Sorry to hear of the problems further north. We've had a lot of rain, but no flooding in my local area. Today was the 1st day w/ sun, though, in quite awhile. I *finally* was able to mow my lawn for the 1st time this season, just in time! Soon, I would have needed to rent a goat!

best to all,

bbc