HAMPTON, N.H. (WHDH) - Hampton, New Hampshire was drying out Wednesday night, hours after seafoam and floodwater inundated part of the town.
Authorities at one point urged residents and visitors to avoid Ocean Boulevard, warning that the road would be closed until further notice.
At high tide, waves were seen splashing over Hampton’s seawall.
“These were the worst waves I think I’ve ever seen,” said area resident Tom Carney.
“When they were crashing over, they were aggressive,” Carney continued. “They were very high and there was a lot of water.”
Wednesday’s flooding came as communities across New England dealt with damage related to wind and rain that swept through the region overnight.
Within Hampton, snow plows were soon seen clearing excess water, foam and debris off flooded roads.
“Mother Nature wins every time,” Hampton Police Chief Alex Reno told 7NEWS as his team continued to monitor the flooding.
Footage shared with 7NEWS showed roadways underwater while multiple homes stood flanked with ocean water.
At one point, police in Hampton were offering assistance to those who wished to evacuate, with an evacuation shelter set up in the Hampton Academy gymnasium.
By noontime, SKY7-HD spotted water in several parts of Hampton receding as high tide started to come to an end.
In some spots such as North Beach, at least one lane of Ocean Boulevard was reopened to traffic as the worst of the flooding appeared to wrap up.
“The roads were fine – until they weren’t,” said resident Steve Jervey. “And unfortunately, because there’s so many one-way roads, we can’t drive back.”
“We were trying to get into Cambridge to doctors’ appointments, but we just can’t get off the island and we had to abandon our car a quarter of a mile up the road and just walk back to our apartment and wait it out,” said Kathy Jervey. “99% of the time, it’s a lovely place to be, so, we’ll take it.”
Overhead, the Portsmouth Police Department’s drone unit was among those helping assess the damage Wednesday afternoon.
“Right now, it’s allowing us to get to areas that we otherwise couldn’t get,” Reno said.
“We may have damage to the roadways,” Reno continued. “There’s lots of things that could be harmed in a situation like this.”
Another official said crews had seen some damage on the Hampton seawall and at nearby residences.
As public officials and members of the public alike took in the scene, some said they recognize flooding comes with the territory in a coastal community like Hampton.
“It’s not a question of if you flood,” Carney said. “It’s when you flood and how bad you flood.”
“It’s unfortunate,” Kathy Jervey said. “But this happens.”
Roads in Hampton reopened throughout Wednesday afternoon.
In the wake of this incident, local police said they were grateful there were no reported injuries.
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