Less Rain, But New England Dams Eyed
17.05.2006 09:43 - category: Category two: Sub category 1 - Source: CBS
(CBS/AP) The sun was coming out in New England Wednesday, as New Englanders began to assess the damage caused by the region's worst flooding since the 1930s. Police reported a single fatality, a 59-year-old man whose body was found in a partially submerged car north of Boston.
The rivers have started to recede, and the weather is improving, reports CBS News correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi. However, a number of dams were being watched closely.
Forecasters predicted scattered showers would persist across the region through the weekend, but the rains should be lighter, with most areas seeing more sun than clouds.
"There's pleasant weather on tap," said Charlie Foley, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
State officials prepared to apply for federal help after a week of rain drove at least 2,500 people from their homes, flooded businesses, closed schools and washed out hundreds of roads in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire.
Gov. Mitt Romney said damage would exceed "tens of millions" in Massachusetts alone. He said he was waiting for a precise calculation of damage before applying for federal assistance.
Several dams were in danger of collapse in Massachusetts. In Amesbury, a side wall of the Millyard Dam downtown gave way when the river swelled during the heavy rains, reports Teri Adler of CBS station WBZ-TV. If it totally collapses, debris like trees could reroute water into the downtown areas. Trees near the river bank were being cut down.
"Worst case scenario is that we have a catastrophic failure of the dam," said fire chief William Chute. "We got to the point where we thought it was going to hold today and it didn't."
In New Hampshire, some towns still faced the danger of flooding and also were closely watching dams. Crews breached one dam along the Newfound River in Bristol on Tuesday night to relieve pressure and avoid flooding downtown. Another dam upstream had loose bolts, prompting authorities to evacuate 200 to 400 families and businesses.
Along the coast, 1,300 people were evacuated from Newmarket, N.H., as the fire chief nervously watched the raging Lamprey River put stress on the Old Newmarket Dam.
In Maine, roads reopened and the threat eased to two dams on the Salmon Falls River.
"These damns have been in place many of them for more than 100 years with little or no maintenance," engineer Scott P. Cahill of Watershed Services, Inc., told CBS News.
A 2006 study found the nation's dams are in disrepair and dangerous.
"The eventuality of all this is if we don't get ahold of it, we're going to see cascading failures and loss of life across the eastern U.S.," said Cahill.
There was good news for Boston-area commuters north of the city: U.S. Route 1 southbound reopened after being closed for several days because of the flooding. However, the northbound portion between Peabody and Revere remained closed.
The heavily traveled highway, lined with stores and restaurants, most of which have closed, has caused commuter headaches as drivers sought alternate routes in and out of Boston.
Jeffrey Saba of Lowell, Mass., knew there was a garage full of leaf blowers and lawn mowers somewhere in the murky water below.
And like thousands of New England residents whose homes and businesses were flooded by record rainfall, he knew he had to wait to reach them.
"We are up against a battle now," said Saba, 42, a landscaper who used a 20-foot canoe Tuesday to inspect his swamped home near the Merrimack River. "The next couple of days will be just a waiting game."
Chambers of commerce along the York County coast, one of the epicenters of Maine's summer tourism industry, expressed confidence that hotels, restaurants and other attractions would be ready for Memorial Day weekend.
In Topsfield, police identified the dead man as James M. Elderkin of Derry, N.H. His car was found in 3 feet of water on a flooded road that had been closed for several days. An autopsy was planned for Wednesday.
In Haverhill, Mass., officials tried to repair a sewage pipe that was dumping 35 million gallons of waste a day into the Merrimack River. State environmental officials said there was no immediate threat to public health from the break, and a temporary fix should be complete Friday.
The rivers have started to recede, and the weather is improving, reports CBS News correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi. However, a number of dams were being watched closely.
Forecasters predicted scattered showers would persist across the region through the weekend, but the rains should be lighter, with most areas seeing more sun than clouds.
"There's pleasant weather on tap," said Charlie Foley, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
State officials prepared to apply for federal help after a week of rain drove at least 2,500 people from their homes, flooded businesses, closed schools and washed out hundreds of roads in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire.
Gov. Mitt Romney said damage would exceed "tens of millions" in Massachusetts alone. He said he was waiting for a precise calculation of damage before applying for federal assistance.
Several dams were in danger of collapse in Massachusetts. In Amesbury, a side wall of the Millyard Dam downtown gave way when the river swelled during the heavy rains, reports Teri Adler of CBS station WBZ-TV. If it totally collapses, debris like trees could reroute water into the downtown areas. Trees near the river bank were being cut down.
"Worst case scenario is that we have a catastrophic failure of the dam," said fire chief William Chute. "We got to the point where we thought it was going to hold today and it didn't."
In New Hampshire, some towns still faced the danger of flooding and also were closely watching dams. Crews breached one dam along the Newfound River in Bristol on Tuesday night to relieve pressure and avoid flooding downtown. Another dam upstream had loose bolts, prompting authorities to evacuate 200 to 400 families and businesses.
Along the coast, 1,300 people were evacuated from Newmarket, N.H., as the fire chief nervously watched the raging Lamprey River put stress on the Old Newmarket Dam.
In Maine, roads reopened and the threat eased to two dams on the Salmon Falls River.
"These damns have been in place many of them for more than 100 years with little or no maintenance," engineer Scott P. Cahill of Watershed Services, Inc., told CBS News.
A 2006 study found the nation's dams are in disrepair and dangerous.
"The eventuality of all this is if we don't get ahold of it, we're going to see cascading failures and loss of life across the eastern U.S.," said Cahill.
There was good news for Boston-area commuters north of the city: U.S. Route 1 southbound reopened after being closed for several days because of the flooding. However, the northbound portion between Peabody and Revere remained closed.
The heavily traveled highway, lined with stores and restaurants, most of which have closed, has caused commuter headaches as drivers sought alternate routes in and out of Boston.
Jeffrey Saba of Lowell, Mass., knew there was a garage full of leaf blowers and lawn mowers somewhere in the murky water below.
And like thousands of New England residents whose homes and businesses were flooded by record rainfall, he knew he had to wait to reach them.
"We are up against a battle now," said Saba, 42, a landscaper who used a 20-foot canoe Tuesday to inspect his swamped home near the Merrimack River. "The next couple of days will be just a waiting game."
Chambers of commerce along the York County coast, one of the epicenters of Maine's summer tourism industry, expressed confidence that hotels, restaurants and other attractions would be ready for Memorial Day weekend.
In Topsfield, police identified the dead man as James M. Elderkin of Derry, N.H. His car was found in 3 feet of water on a flooded road that had been closed for several days. An autopsy was planned for Wednesday.
In Haverhill, Mass., officials tried to repair a sewage pipe that was dumping 35 million gallons of waste a day into the Merrimack River. State environmental officials said there was no immediate threat to public health from the break, and a temporary fix should be complete Friday.
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