How Can We Prepare for the Increasing Threat of Flooding in New England?

[Astronuc]

I hope some of PF members (like turbo-1 and Chi Meson) in Maine, NH and Massachusetts are OK!

Rain, Swelling Rivers Threaten New England

PEABODY, Mass. - A four-day deluge has turned streets into rivers across New England, flooding homes up to their door knobs, forcing dozens of schools to close because the buses couldn't get through, and threatening dams and communities as rivers rise.

The rain was still falling Monday morning, and forecasters warned the worst was yet to come. The rain totals could hit 15 inches by afternoon, triggering the worst flooding in some areas since 1936, the National Weather Service said!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060515/ap_on_re_us/new_england_flooding

I think parts of CA and MI have also received significant amounts of rain, and possible flooding.

 

[turbo]

My wife and I are fine - we didn't get deluged like very southern tip of the state, and we live on a hill anyway. It was actually a fairly nice day here yesterday. We've a courting pair of broad-winged hawks in the area and every time they come through here, the songbirds shut up immediately. We've got pairs of phoebes, white-throated sparrows, robins, chickadees, goldfinches and purple finches all over the property, and it sounds like a jungle until the hawks show up. I'm kind of torn - I love raptors and would like to have them nest on the property, but I also like to see and hear the songbirds. A rose-breasted grossbeak showed up a couple of days ago, and I hope he stays - what a beautiful, musical song.

 

[Astronuc]

Glad to hear you're spared the flooding. I hope others are alright.

We had bluebird pop into our yard yesterday and grab some insect/worm from the ground. We see them and grossbeaks occasionally.

Titmice, chikadees and mourning doves are abundant year round here, except when we have freezing weather. We now have several pairs of goldfinches and purple finches, and the odd nuthatch.

Robins are present, especially after the lawn in mowed.

I think the owls have moved further north. I don't hear them as much as at 1-3 am as I did a few weeks ago.

 

[Chi Meson]

I'm actually in Connecticut, but Jeez! I'm seing pairs of animals wandering about.

My basement is dry! I think I've had the ultimate test by now.

 

[Astronuc]

Well CT is getting in some parts. I have a friend who lives close to the Thames. I am waiting so hear how he did since they were getting continuous rain the last time I heard.

 

[Chi Meson]

Well CT is getting in some parts. I have a friend who lives close to the Thames. I am waiting so hear how he did since they were getting continuous rain the last time I heard.

Hah! you have two friends close to the Thames (pronounced "Thames"). I'm in Groton which is on the east side of this great river. (OK, "great river" is a stretch. How about "mediocre estuary"?)

 

[cronxeh]

Harvard kids get washed up

 

[Chi Meson]

Harvard kids get washed up

A crew joke, eh?

 

[Astronuc]

Hah! you have two friends close to the Thames (pronounced "Thames"). I'm in Groton which is on the east side of this great river. (OK, "great river" is a stretch. How about "mediocre estuary"?)

My friend is in Norwich! You're practically neighbors. I need to get over there sometime - maybe soon actually. I'll let you know.

 

[Gale]

its flooded really badly here in new hampshire. my friends house is completely submerged and tons of roads are washed out. I'm going to go help my friend now, her animals are stuck in the house and the entire neighborhood has been evacuated. almost every river here is to the brink or already flooded and we still have at least another day of rain. there's evactuation warnings everywhere. my dad's work had the basement and first floor evactuated, and he said there's just water all over. worst flood in half a century, and more to come.

 

[Astronuc]

Gale, how about your house?

Be careful!

And let us know how you make out.

 

[cronxeh]

its flooded really badly here in new hampshire. my friends house is completely submerged and tons of roads are washed out. I'm going to go help my friend now, her animals are stuck in the house and the entire neighborhood has been evacuated. almost every river here is to the brink or already flooded and we still have at least another day of rain. there's evactuation warnings everywhere. my dad's work had the basement and first floor evactuated, and he said there's just water all over. worst flood in half a century, and more to come.

I shutter to think what kinda animals she has in her house.. and for what purpose.. knowing you Gale.. I mean ... uh..

 

[moose]

wtf... so yesterday I checked the weather and it said that it will be sunny everyday for the next week... yeaaahhh, it looks like it is about to rain... heavy clouds and winds and all

 

[Pengwuino]

Possible flooding in california? pblackffff

 

[Cyrus]

Rain, Rain, go a-way. Don't come back a-nother Day........okayyyyyyy

 

[Pengwuino]

Fresno weather pisses me off. We have no spring. It's raining, pouring, thunderstorms one week, 90-100 degrees the next.

 

[turbo]

We had some more rain today, but nothing like the people in york county have gotten. I almost said "nothing like the POOR people in York County" and about had to stop from choking since most of the wealth of the state is concentrated there. Anyway, a lot of roads are flooded, some smaller dams are suspect, and houses in low-lying areas are flooded, even if not in danger of destruction. We will hang on, and will recover. Probably the only people who will collect on flood insurance will be those "poor" people in Kennebunkport, like George Bush I.

 

[Moonbear]

Geez, how did those insurance companies know this was coming? Didn't we have a thread in politics not long ago about the insurance companies dropping flood coverage in the Northeast?

Gale, I hope you're okay and you were able to get your friends' pets out safely.

We've had pretty steady rain since Friday (the storms seem to mostly pass to the north of us here, but we've been getting our fair share). Other than starting to get tired of 50 degree weather in May, and the long walk from the parking lot to my building in the rain, I'm glad for the rain. I just planted my tomato garden on Thursday, and was a bit worried about getting it watered really well...I can gladly say it has gotten a thorough ground-soaking now.

 

[hypatia]

Yep pretty soggy in michigan now too. Today is day 7 of rain, and no sun, people are getting really cranky.

 

[J77]

I know people in Hadley, MA - has it been wet there?

 

[Astronuc]

Geez, how did those insurance companies know this was coming? Didn't we have a thread in politics not long ago about the insurance companies dropping flood coverage in the Northeast?

The flooding mentioned in P&WA had to do with Nor'easters or hurricanes which are expected to dump large quantities of rain in addition to high tides and seas which flood the coastlines. There is a lot of costly and very vulnerable real estate along the eastern coast, particularly in Long Island and the coast of New England, from CT to ME.

As a side point, one of the weather services is predicting three major storms (hurricanes) to hit the US this year.

Hadley is receiving rain apparently, and some areas may be susceptible to flooding. I can't find much detail at the moment.

 

[turbo]

Another day of rain, here. So far, it's steady, but not torrential. Hopefully, the little "rivers" in southwestern Maine will level off and subside. I put "rivers" in quotes because what passes for rivers down there would be called streams up here in the central portion of the state. The trick is that those little rivers come up really quick when it rains, and they don't have substantial flood-plains to expand into, like the really big rivers have created over the millenia. We have lost quite a number of roads to wash-outs and officials are warning people not to drive on roads abutted by flood-water, because even if the pavement looks complete, it may be undermined and ready to collapse.

 

[Moonbear]

As a side point, one of the weather services is predicting three major storms (hurricanes) to hit the US this year.

That doesn't seem like too great of a prediction...at least 3 hurricanes hit the US every year. That's sort of like a forecaster telling couples planning their weddings that there's a 30% chance of rain on their wedding day.

It's another icky, cold, rainy day here too. Blech! This better stop before the week ends. I have to drive to NJ for a cousin's wedding on Saturday. I'm sure she'll manage if it rains, but I don't want to drive in rain the whole way...it makes for such a miserable trip.

 

[Astronuc]

That doesn't seem like too great of a prediction...at least 3 hurricanes hit the US every year. That's sort of like a forecaster telling couples planning their weddings that there's a 30% chance of rain on their wedding day.

The point is MAJOR hurricanes, i.e. what used to be exceptional is now becoming more normal. So expect more like Katrina and Andrew - which could mean severe economic distress for many people, and the nation as a whole.

I don't think the federal government is prepared.

 

[Gale]

here's a few pictures of my friend's neighborhood. also, J77, i go to school near hadly, its not bad near there at all. southern new hampshire seems to have gotten it worse.

http://s82.photobucket.com/albums/j277/jowen1987/

that has a bunch of pictures on it.

there's a few of the worst houses. the second one is my friend chris. that porch was on the second story, and you can see that the waters have even pushed that up. its been really awful for him. some people in that neighborhood have even refused to leave. they're huddled in their living rooms waiting for the water to go down. its nuts.

 

[Astronuc]

Oh, man, that sucks! I think that home is history.

My condolences to those whose homes were flooded.

 

[turbo]

Let's hope that the wave of flood-insurance cancellations haven't already left those folks without coverage! The people in NH seem to have borne the brunt of the flood-damage, although some of the tourist destinations in southern Maine have suffered enough flood damage to lead to a rash of cancellations - their business will be off a bit this year, since the tourist season traditionally starts around Memorial Day, and they've got less than 2 weeks to clean out, dry out, replace damaged walls and flooring, and restock.

We have been really lucky in the past few decades not to have a hurricane swing up and hit us squarely. If a big one should come in during a high tide (our tides can be pretty dramatic, especially Down East) the storm surge, tide, and torrential rain would make last weekend look like a walk in the park.