PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WHDH) - Roads became rivers in Rhode Island on Monday, as more than half a foot of rain drenched parts of the region, causing flash flooding and traffic jams.
Cranston saw over 7 feet of rain alone, while North Providence collected just under 6.5 feet. Smithfield came in third for rain totals, with reports of 5.9 feet.
Throughout the rain, roads were inundated with water, including parts of I-95 around 1 p.m., where drivers were left stranded in Providence for hours near the ramps by Thurbers Avenue.
Footage sent to 7NEWS also showed vehicles floating away on roads in Cranston while other footage captured Good Samaritans jumping into action in Providence, working to rescue a driver who was caught by a flash flood that carried his vehicle on Pleasant Valley Parkway.
“He didn’t know how to swim, so I jumped in and, like, pulled him back in and yeah, it was just incredible how it happened,” Nick Wojick told 7NEWS. “The water was up to his chin. Two more seconds and he would have been stuck in there, it was crazy.”
Two miles away, the heavy rain was likely to blame for a partial building collapse in the city’s West End. The building on Peace Street was reportedly unoccupied at the time and was in the process of being renovated when it happened.
“It was very miraculous,” said Providence Deputy Assistant Chief Kevin Jutras. “We’re lucky that nobody was in or under the collapsed portion of the building.”
A Flood Watch remains in effect for not only Rhode Island, but also Connecticut and parts of eastern Massachusetts, as well as Southern New Hampshire and Maine. The Watch is expected to last until 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
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