New England sees worst floods in 70 years

[Caution]

LOWELL, Mass. --Storm-weary New England residents waded out into a fifth day of rain Tuesday as the region's dams kept a tenuous hold against cresting rivers and evacuees wondered what remained of their homes after water filled their basements and surged over some rooftops.

Across northeastern Massachusetts, thousands of people fled submerged neighborhoods during the region's worst flooding in nearly 70 years. More than a foot of rain fell during the weekend in some areas.

"It seemed almost Biblical," Gov. Mitt Romney said Tuesday on ABC's "Good Morning America." "We're sort of making jokes about Noah and taking two of each kind of animal because we haven't ever seen rain like this."

The stubborn storm system lingering over the region was expected to move out by Wednesday, and Peter Judge, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, said the worst of the flooding appeared to be over.

<snip>

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/05/16/portions_of_new_england_submerged_in_water/

[shoelace414]

1. We need more tax cuts to fix this.

[shain from kane]

2. Gay marriages? n/t

[Tesha]

8. If so, Gawd has lousy aim.

> Gay marriages?

If so, Gawd has lousy aim.

Much of the damage has been done in New Hampshire, a pretty-
damned Republican state.

Tesha

[shain from kane]

14. Lousy aim? I didn't say He was perfect. n/t

[opihimoimoi]

23. Mother Nature is Pissed no one is addressing Global Warming

and so SHE is hinting to us to get the act together....

[Caution]

3. I'm a bit shocked by the lack of interest on DU about this

The damned Duke rape thing has nearly 400 posts but there is practically nothing about thousands of people losing homes and businesses due to massive flooding. I guess most of us New Englanders on DU are too busy bailing water to post on DU right now.

[Submariner]

4. We native born New Englanders are accustomed to rain and flooding

It's only the overly excited non-native TV weather bunnies and blow-dried guys who move here from out of state and blow up the stories beyond recognition. Granted damage has been done, but most who live in flood plains realize it can and will happen. This time I just watched it all come down from my 4th floor Boston apt.

[bluerum]

6. I agree. I see soggy ground and wet roads and puddles everywhere

and there have been rivers overflowing banks - but biblical?!?! That blow dried twit Romney got his do wet and is crying foul to the lord above. What a whining weenie. I wish that asshole would just go back to Utah. Not that I have anything against Utah but if they like him so much they can have him.

Not minimize the damage and inconvenience to hundreds of people that had to leave their homes during the current floods, but I think it was just as bad if not worse last October.

[Caution]

11. Try looking at it from a small two story home in Methuen

[Skittles]

27. easy for you, you live in a submarine

:7

[Theres-a]

5. Yesterday's threads

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2284178&mesg_id=2284178

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1191053&mesg_id=1191053

[davepc]

9. people losing homes and business is a bit melodramatic

having your basement flood is bad, but dosent constitute losing you home. The coast guard isn't picking people off the tops of their roofs.

I was in Conneticut this weekend visiting friends, and while there was ample signs of flooding, it wasen't some sort of Katrina redux.

[Caution]

10. Dead wrong. Thousands have lost homes. 3 major rivers have

exceeded flood levels, one by nearly 20 feet. Northern MA and southern NH are pretty much completely deluged. Downtown Peabody MA, less than a mile from my home is under 6 feet of water, the next street over from me, Jefferson Ave in Salem, MA is under 4 feet of water. Both areas were evacuated due to the flooding. I have a friend in Methuen whose basement and first floor were under water and he was just hoping the house didnt collapse. Was this Katrina? No. But there are going to be hundreds and possibly thousands left homeless and hundreds of businesses destroyed.

[NorthernSpy]

19. Are there a thousand people dead? Are dogs eating bodies in the streets?

Are federal officials butting in and making lethal screw-ups? Are people trying to escape the flooding being forced back into the disaster zone at gunpoint? Are people getting blamed and insulted for "choosing to live in a flood zone", or for "failing to evacuate when serious flooding was forecast", or for "waiting for the government to rescue them instead of swimming to safety" -- or for any of a number of other alleged failures of "initiative" and "personal responsibility"? Are talking heads musing about the option of abandoning these historic towns, and letting New England's culture die?


No, they aren't.

Look, I'm in New England too, and what's happening is not good. But we will get through this, just as we got through the big ice storm, because we do have a lot of advantages. Reasonably competent officialdom and a generally more benevolent and cohesive society, to name two.

I'm sorry about what's happening to your friend, Caution. It's up to us to make sure everyone who is affected gets enough aid to repair their lives and livelihoods.

[Tesha]

28. One difference, of course, is that New England topography...

One difference, of course, is that New England topography
is a lot different than NOLA topography.

One, we don't build below sea level, so eventually all
of this *WILL* drain away of its own accord.

But two, and probably more importantly, New England is
very hilly, so a lot of the flooding is very localized
and "higher ground" is usually close by. We don't have
miles of nothing-but-water as far as the eye can see
and most of the folks that needed to be rescued by boat
(and there were many) only needed to ride that boat a
few hundred to a few thousand feet.

Tesha

[Caution]

13. A few photos

[nolabels]

25. kind of stupid to float your house down the river without a boat isn't it?

Sorry but that just felt like it needed to be said


http://houseboatsplus.com/

[Skittles]

26. I'm in Texas and I feel for you folk

yes indeed.....do you know of any local organizations worth donating to, I no longer trust the Red Cross

[mainegreen]

7. A problem though is that many don't have flood insurance I'm sure

that were flooded. Areas that don't normally flood are flooding now, and I would not be suprised to find out that many did not have flood insurance.

[Caution]

12. Map of flood zone, evacuations, power outages, etc

[Ragin_mad]

15. Where is FEMA

Why have we heard nothing from them ?

[Caution]

17. The various governors haven't yet asked for federal aid.

This was nowhere near katrina levels. I believe the plan was to ask for the aid after the damage assessments started coming in so as not to leave any federal aid on the table (which is what happened a couple of years ago).

[MaineDem]

21. I think they have asked for federal aid

FEMA will assess the damage, in Maine at least, on Friday.

[NorthernSpy]

22. a word about aid: New England pays routinely pays more in Fed. taxes...

... than it receives in federal spending. A lot more, actually.

So I think we're due something, surely.

But with so much of our money being flushed daily down that giant toilet that is the Iraq War, who knows what we'll get?

[NorthernSpy]

20. far, far away -- I hope...

Why have we heard nothing from them ?

Who knows why miracles happen? I'm just happy when they do.

[bdamomma]

16. are the animals okay?

just thinking of all living life.

[Caution]

18. Saw a fair amount of footage of animal rescues on the news.

Few dogs, bunch of cats, etc.

[kori]

24. Worst Flooding since the 30's

As a weatherphile it seems every time a record is broken be it for a daily high or record storms, we replace something from the 30's. If you look at old photos of much of the country it was almost tree bare in the 30's then the CC and other New Deal Programs addressed lack of trees parks etc. Well we still have trees but I wonder if we have not tripped the same trigger we were about to in the 30's and ended up dodging.