Healey: “Folks Are Seeing Issues They’ve By no means Seen Earlier than”

Flooding, Heavy Rains Swamp Leominster, North Attleborough

NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, MASS., SEPT. 12, 2023…..Gov. Maura Healey was lacing up her LL Bean boots as her SUV pulled as much as the police station right here late Tuesday morning. She placed on a Massachusetts Emergency Administration Company jacket as she obtained out of the automotive, making clear she was in storm injury survey mode.

“As soon as once more, we discover ourselves on the scene of catastrophic flooding,” Healey stated. She added, “I like to go to all of our 351 cities and cities, however nobody desires to see me coming due to this.”

The governor scrapped plans to be in New Hampshire on Tuesday and as a substitute obtained a first-hand have a look at the injury attributable to torrential rainstorms that hit onerous Monday night time in Bristol County cities like North Attleborough and North Central Mass. locales like Leominster. Some elements of the area obtained between six and 9 inches of rain Monday, the Nationwide Climate Service stated, and the governor stated the state deployed boats in Leominster to get folks to security.

“I’m right here in the present day to, to begin with, thank first responders, of us who’ve labored so onerous by way of the night time to evacuate folks, to shore issues up. A variety of progress has been made, and I’m simply so grateful to them for his or her work,” Healey stated. “Additionally, we’re right here in solidarity with our city directors and with our native and state officers. I’m dedicated to creating certain that our administration does every thing we are able to to assist restore a semblance of order right here to of us on this area and across the state that [were] so devastated by this flooding, this climate.”

Healey’s first months in workplace have coincided with frequent deluges, and even just a few tornadoes. Whereas former Gov. Charlie Baker confronted report snowstorms throughout his first yr in workplace, Healey early in her tenure has been dealing recurrently with injury — to folks and infrastructure — from heavy rains.

Contained in the city’s storm command heart at police headquarters, a map displayed hassle spots and closed roads, and a wise display screen confirmed stay radar. Healey obtained a rundown of the issues the city handled Monday night time into Tuesday: 5 inches of rain in three to 4 hours, about 200 properties reportedly broken by flooding, greater than 150 requires police and fireplace service, and the closure of main thoroughfares like Route 1, City Supervisor Michael Borg stated.

The governor additionally met Kristine, a nursing teacher from North Attleborough who stated she “by no means had a drop” of water in her home till Monday night time, when six toes of water got here flooding in and compelled her household to evacuate.

“That’s the factor with the severity of those storms, persons are seeing issues they’ve by no means seen earlier than,” Healey stated.

Because the tour of the command heart and a press convention wrapped up, Kristine obtained phrase that her home had been condemned. Healey consoled her within the parking zone, putting a hand on her shoulder, hugging her and serving to Kristine get some house from the TV cameras and reporters watching.

“That’s simply heartbreaking. Sadly, we’re seeing an increasing number of of this across the state as we see an increasing number of extreme climate right here and throughout the nation,” Healey stated after relaying Kristine’s story at a later cease in North Attleborough. “I’m dedicated to working with city directors, our native officers and our state officers — respect MEMA, they have been on the scene all night time right here and can proceed to be — and I’ll press onerous for the federal delegation and the Biden administration to get aid and help.”

Healey stated she had reached out to the Biden administration and two members of the state’s Congressional delegation earlier than arriving in North Attleborough on Tuesday. She stated the work of securing federal help begins with amassing as a lot info as attainable on the injury attributable to the storms.

Native officers like Borg and Public Works Director Mark Hollowell introduced Healey to 2 spots on the town to exhibit what they have been coping with. First up was a flooded parking zone at a former Fisher School location on Elm Road, adopted by a washed-out culvert that Hallowell stated was constructed by hand in 1865.

“We have been out right here at about one within the morning. The water was coming throughout this street about two toes off the bottom. And because it was coming throughout the street and down the opposite facet, it fully undermined the east facet of the roadway right here,” Hallowell stated. “Earlier than we are able to let folks on this, even quickly, we now have to get a glance beneath the bridge so we now have to attend for the water go down a good quantity.”

Previous Publish Highway, which Hallowell stated is “the connection” between North Attleborough and Attleboro, might be closed within the space of Allen Avenue till the city can get a greater evaluation of the culvert. Drivers will as a substitute be re-routed onto Route 1. And Hallowell gently reminded Healey that the state may assist by offering grant cash to switch the culvert.

“This bridge is on one in all our lists for the subsequent bridge to be mounted. We submitted for a small bridge design grant a pair months in the past,” he stated.

From North Attleborough, Healey traveled to Leominster, the place flash floods tore up roads and stranded drivers, saturated properties and compelled evacuations Monday night time, leaving town in a state of emergency.

“It’s a miracle that folks made it, we haven’t had any fatalities,” Mayor Dean Mazzarella stated throughout a televised press convention Tuesday morning.

For instance the power of the flooding, the mayor stated a full dumpster confirmed up on town’s riverwalk.

“We don’t even know the place it got here from,” Mazzarella stated.

A Massachusetts Emergency Administration Company official stated rain impacts have been “nowhere close to” the identical in neighboring Fitchburg. The state additionally focused emergency administration employees on Tuesday to flooding impacts felt in North Attleborough.

Colleges have been closed Tuesday in Leominster and the Frances Drake Elementary on Viscoloid Ave. was opened as a shelter.

The Nationwide Climate Service stated extra soaking rain seems to be possible for Wednesday afternoon and night. And on condition that the bottom in some elements of the area simply obtained saturated with six to 9 inches of rain on Monday, NWS meteorologists stated the chance for two-plus inches of rain means “considerations are rising that our hardest hit localities may once more face a flash flooding risk.”

The meteorologists additionally acknowledged that “all eyes are on” the Thursday-through-Monday forecast as Hurricane Lee turns north. They stated the newest Nationwide Hurricane Middle forecast “shifted the cone of uncertainty only a hair east so it solely scrapes Cape Cod.”

“Nonetheless, given we’re 4-5 days out, nothing is ready in stone,” the NWS stated. “Regardless, we are going to most actually see impacts within the type of excessive surf and excessive rip present danger as quickly as Wednesday when vitality out forward of Lee reaches our south/southeast dealing with shores.”

[Michael P. Norton contributed to this report.]