LEOMINSTER, MASS. (WHDH) - New video shows the moment a car was carried away by floodwaters in Leominster earlier this week as heavy rain triggered flash flooding across the city and surrounding communities.
7NEWS recently spoke with the owner of the car, who said he watched the scene unfold Monday night behind his multi-family home off Central Street.
“It’s devastating,” said Leominster resident Moses Dejene. “I’m still absorbing this.”
Dejene said water started pooling in his parking lot Monday evening. As time went on, he said, the asphalt bucked, creating a huge crater.
The water then broke through Dejene’s fence, taking his car with it.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before and it’s unfortunate,” he said.
The car was swept away until it stopped in a creek more than a hundred feet from Dejene’s parking lot.
On Wednesday, Dejene was still in disbelief about the car and other damage, including a sinkhole near his home.
“It’s a huge concern,” he said. “I actually have not been able to sleep the past two days.”
“Two weeks, three weeks, a month from now — hopefully this will be resolved and we can go on with our regular life,” he continued.
Despite the destruction, Dejene said he is thankful his family of four is safe.
“It’s too much to take in, honestly,” he said.
“One thing I got to say is Leominster, the community is coming together,” Dejene said. “They’re very resilient.”
Cleanup efforts continued across Leominster in homes, businesses and along local infrastructure on Wednesday even as more rain hit the region.
Gov. Maura Healey has declared a state of emergency in response to flooding in the Leominster area and communities around North Attleboro, which was also hit by flash floods on Monday.
While local officials in Leominster said they made progress in opening some lanes on some roads, officials on Wednesday also said it could take additional time to fully open some damaged and blocked streets.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)