[StBernard] Northeast floods force hundreds from homes

[Westley Annis]

Northeast floods force hundreds from homes 
Governors activate National Guard as torrential rains hit; more is expected

The Associated Press
Updated: 6:38 p.m. ET May 14, 2006


CONCORD, N.H. - Torrential rain forced hundreds of people from their homes
in New Hampshire and Massachusetts on Sunday, flowing over dams and washing
out roads. 

New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney both
declared states of emergency, activating the National Guard to help
communities respond to the storm. Maine's governor also declared a state of
emergency for one county.


"It's a very serious situation," Lynch said, adding that forecasters were
predicting 12 to 15 inches of rain by the end of the storm in parts of
southern New Hampshire. "It continues to change and the situation continues
to worsen." 

A dam in Milton, N.H., was in danger of failing, which could send a 10-foot
wall of water downstream, the National Weather Service said in a bulletin.
People downstream were being evacuated in the town. 

The state Office of Emergency Management said at least a dozen dams were
being closely watched. 

Flooding in Peabody
In Massachusetts, cars were pulled from flooded streets in downtown Peabody,
about 20 miles north of Boston, and about 300 people were evacuated from an
apartment complex for seniors. 

About 150 residents in Melrose, Mass., had to leave their homes after sewage
lines were overwhelmed, backing up into houses, Romney said. 

Some parts of New Hampshire had seen 7 inches of rain by midday Sunday and
forecasters said up to 5 more inches might come during the day. 

About 100 residents were evacuated from their homes in Wakefield, N.H.
because of concerns about two dams in the area. 

Officials also reported a railroad culvert and embankment washed out in
Milton, with train tracks suspended in midair. And the local emergency
management office in Hooksett said the town essentially was closed because
so many roads were flooded. 

'Three feet deep and climbing' 
Tom Johnson said water was flowing on Sunday into the basement of his Salem
home, where a pump that handles 1,500 gallons of water an hour was not
keeping up. 

"There are areas in my backyard that are probably three feet deep and
climbing as we speak," Johnson said. 

Flooding in New Hampshire in October killed seven people, carried off homes
and washed away miles of roads down to bedrock. 

In Maine, flooding was reported on 60 roads in the southern part of the
state, said governor's spokeswoman Crystal Canney. 

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C 2006 MSNBC.com

URL: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12786790/