LEOMINSTER, MASS. (WHDH) - A cluster of severe fast-moving storms wreaked havoc on the Boston-area Tuesday morning as the remnants of Hurricane Florence pushed through, prompting a tornado warning, downing trees, and flooding roads.
One of the hardest hit areas was Leominster as water knocked down part of a brick wall and poured into a backyard along Burrage Street.
Other neighborhoods in Leominster were underwater, the rain coming down so hard it turned streets into rivers.
The flooding closed streets throughout the city, which received upwards of four inches of rain.
About a dozen homes flooded from the sudden storm.
“It just came in all at once like it always does,” said resident Donna Berry. “It just all of the sudden built up, and in it came.”
Berry lives in Leominster with her 84-year-old father, who is recovering from heart surgery.
“It definitely gets two, two-and-a-half, three feet of water. I’d say about three feet this time,” said resident Leo Brettschneider.
City crews came by with a pump just after 2 p.m. to begin the drying-out process. One neighborhood was hit by flooding about six weeks ago.
“It’s starting to be routine,” said Berry.
Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella says 5,000 sandbags were distributed in preparation for the storm.
“We want to get this fix as fast as possible,” Mazzarella said. “I feel bad for these people. They’ve lost everything in their basements. We’re going to get this done as fast as we can.”
Some people in Leominster say this has been going on for decades, and it seems to be getting worse. They’re hoping it gets fixed with some engineering work.
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