LYNN, MASS. (WHDH) - Heavy rain hit the North Shore over the weekend, turning roads into rivers in Lynn.
Downpours caused many streets in Lynn to fill up with water, pouring into yards and buildings.
Flooding got so bad, someone people had to paddle their way out of their homes.
Water swallowed up streets, leaving some cars under water and filling up some basements.
“I have a five-foot basement (and) four-and-a-half feet of water,” said Sherry Pacewicz.
Lynn resident Gene Richards and his family were watching the waters rise Sunday, wondering if they would have to leave the house.
“When I saw the water going up the steps right there, I thought it was going to require my wife to go out to a shelter or something like that,” Richards said.
This isn’t the first time their basement has flooded, they said. The family tells 7News they spent several thousands of dollars on repairs and now they’re thinking about moving for good.
Lynn city councilors went from home to home Sunday to see which still had water inside and which could have power restored.
Joice Lemay-Ewing’s home had a 10-foot hole patched up with some wood and a metal jack. The home is hoisted up like a car with a broken tire, its foundation crumbling away.
“The flood ruined my wall, my basement wall, the side. And it took it down. So I have a gaping hole in my house,” Lemay-Ewing said.
She bought this house 10 days ago. Sunday’s storm sent so much rainwater inside, her basement nearly overflowed.
City officials estimate 500 homes were damaged by rainwater. Councilman Jay Walsh says a culvert that’s supposed to divert water from a nearby brook got overwhelmed. This is the second time that’s happened in the last year.
“All these homes had their boilers replaced, their water heaters replaced last September, so they’re doing it again, all over again,” Walsh said.
Lemay-Ewing says she has to find another place to stay for now. Everyone in this neighborhood is now wondering how long these homes will last.
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