Heavy rain overnight and high tides the following morning ensured flooded roadways along the coast in Massachusetts on Wednesday, leaving numerous vehicles stranded and drivers dealing with detours.
From Plum Island to Everett, roadways were inundated with rain or oceanwater, after the latest storm system dumped up to 3″ of rain in the Boston area alone Tuesday night.
The downpours made for hazardous driving on nearly all major roadways, with numerous drivers braving Morrisey Boulevard in Dorchester while communities like Malden and Everett had their fair share of vehicles stalling out in street flooding.
One low lying road in Everett in particular, Vale Street, was the scene of multiple cars getting caught in what turned into a small pond by Wednesday morning, leaving cars submerged throughout the day.
“It was dark – they didn’t see that it was flooded and by the time they tried to go through it, it was too late – the cars stalled out and they couldn’t get them restarted,” said Paul Belmonte of Paul’s Towing.
Foreign exchange student Mazlum Demir told 7NEWS he could see his parked car sitting in the water from his Everett apartment Wednesday morning.
“When I opened the door, I saw many water – if you want I can show it to you,” Demir said during a Facetime call, turning his phone to show large puddles sitting in his vehicle as he grabbed a mug to continue scooping water out. “Everywhere is like this – I’m still cleaning with the cup!”
Everett fire officials said they had to rescue at least one person left stranded in a car, who was unable to get out themselves.
“I just saw what looks like a lake – it’s so much water,” said Anthony Darrigo, who works on the flooded road.
Vale Street was closed to traffic throughout the day to prevent other drivers from attempting to clear the pond in the middle of the pavement.
“My country doesn’t have ocean – this is why in the United States, in Boston, it’s crazy!” Demir added.
Along the coasts, high tides translated to cars being submerged in Salisbury on Route 1A or stranded on Menauhant Road in Falmouth.
Part of Hampton, New Hampshire was also inundated with coastal flooding.
Significant closures road closures included the Plum Island Turnpike where inches of water could be seen covering the pavement after Newburyport police told drivers to avoid the area.
By the late afternoon, much of the closures were lifted as DPW crews worked to clear debris and excess floodwaters.
Rising rivers cause concern after rain
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While coastal communities faced flooding and while drivers navigated flooded roads, others near many Massachusetts rivers were themselves dealing with rising water Wednesday.
The Shawsheen River, which runs through communities including Bedford, Tewksbury, Wilmington and Andover, rose three feet between Wednesday morning and Wednesday afternoon. The water level is now expected to continue rising before cresting in Andover early Friday morning in minor flood stage.
In Framingham, the Sudbury River had already crested Wednesday afternoon after its water level rose nearly four feet.
With some rivers still rising and more rain in the forecast, the National Weather Service issued a series of flood watches and warnings that remained in effect Wednesday evening.
For more information on local flooding, as well as which communities saw the most amount of rainfall this week, check out the 7WEATHER blog.
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