LEOMINSTER, MASS. Leominster, Massachusetts (WHDH). City officials in Leominster declared an emergency Monday night after heavy rains pounded the area. Flash floods were also declared for Leominster as well as the surrounding areas.
Flash floods were declared an emergency by the National Weather Service at around 11:00 p.m., including Leominster and Fitchburg. More of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire had been under flash flood warnings in the earlier part of the evening.
Rescues in Leominster were ongoing in multiple locations Monday night. Officials said that they were on the verge of sending mutual assistance from nearby communities and agencies to hard-hit areas as rain fell.
Leominster mayor Dean Mazzarella posted a warning on Facebook at around 6:30 pm.
Mazzarella then shared on Facebook Live a video of a view from the parking lot at Leominster Police Station, which he claimed had been inundated since 4:30 pm.
Mazzarella added, “We have called everyone.”
Mazzarella urged the community to avoid the road and stated that some of the buildings had 8 feet of water inside them at around 7:45 pm.
He said, “I have never seen something like this.”
Leominster mayor describes rescues, mutual aid response
Mazzarella told 7NEWS that heavy rain began to fall around 4:15 p.m.
Mazzarella reported that many streets had been blocked by 9 pm.
He said, “People are trying get off the road.” But our streets are flooding.”
Mazzarella stated that city officials, in addition to the Department of Public Works, firefighters and police, had also requested assistance from nearby communities, as well as authorities at state level.
He said, “We only need bodies here.”
Mazzarella, however, said that the city must keep its streets clear.
He said, “We have called for mutual assistance.” We can’t bring them in if the roads are closed because of large puddles.
Mazzarella said, “Don’t go to Leominster this evening.”
Mazzarella stated that flooding had caused severe damage to downtown Leominster. Mazzarella reported that severe flooding is occurring along the Nashua River, Monoosnoc Brook and other areas.
Mazzarella reported that a partially collapsing building was near the Monoosnoc Brook between Water Street Mechanic Street. Around 9 pm, firefighters were at the scene to ensure that no one was in the building.
Mazzarella said that flooding trapped people in their cars in Leominster and required rescue.
Mazzarella reported that a community of mobile homes off Central Street was “flooded,” prompting the evacuations. 7NEWS’ cameras captured the scene of some evacuations. People were seen removing their belongings from their homes to dry land, while rescuers made their way door-to-door.
Boats were used to bring out other people.
7NEWS saw multiple rescues near Main Street and Pleasant Street. Floodwaters were receding to some extent around 10:30 pm.
A parking lot at a car dealership near the Nashua River washed away, dumping several vehicles onto what used to be solid, stable ground.
Leominster Public Schools superintendent Paula Deacon, who was dealing with flood damage on Monday evening, announced that the city’s schools would be closed Tuesday.
Deacon asked, “Please be safe.”
On Facebook, Mazzarella said that the Frances Drake School at Viscoloid Avenue is open for anyone in need as of around 9 p.m.
By 11 pm, more than 60 students had already arrived.
Road closures and cancelled trains due to flooding
In a press release, the state Department of Transportation said that various roads in Massachusetts were shut down due to flooding at around 7:50 p.m. This included Route 2 in Leominster and Route 1A and Westbound Exit 51 of I-90 Eastbound.
Route 1A in Attleboro was reopened on Monday evening.
MassDOT reports that the eastbound lanes of Route 2 at Leominster reopened early on Tuesday morning. The westbound lanes were still closed.
The exit 51 in Chicopee on I-90 Eastbound & Westbound reopened late Monday evening, but I-291 westbound at Exit 6, in that area was still closed around 9:00 p.m.
X (formerly Twitter) reports that several MBTA Commuter Rail services were canceled or delayed, and some even terminated earlier, on the Fitchburg line.
The T posted a message later stating that the Providence Line service between Pawtucket/Central Falls, and Wickford Junction had been suspended due to the flash floods in Providence.
The T warned, “You can expect severe delays both ways.”
The T stated in a separate posting that “Passengers can consider RIPTA buses as an alternative for service between Pawtucket Junction and Wickford Junction.”
The T announced that all trains on the Fitchburg Line will originate/terminate from Shirley Station due to flash flood damage.
T announced that buses would replace the train service between Shirley, Massachusetts and Wachusett until Tuesday.
The T stated that “our engineering team is making necessary repairs in order to return to regular service as quickly as possible.”
The North Attleboro emergency team, after heavy rains caused flash floods, sent a text message to the community Monday evening asking them “to stay off the roads until further notice and take shelter”
North Attleboro officials updated the situation around 11:45 pm, stating that floodwaters had receded and the shelter in place order for North Attleboro was lifted.
Officials said, “if you must drive, exercise caution and don’t attempt to bypass any road closures.”
Gov. Maura Shealey’s response to flooding in Massachusetts was made in a Monday evening statement. “There have been catastrophic floods this evening in Leominster and across Massachusetts.”
Healey expressed his concern for the affected communities as well as public safety officials.
Healey stated that she had spoken with Leominster mayor Mazzarella and “instructed state agencies to provide all the assistance they could.”
Healey stated that the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), the Massachusetts State Police, and the State Department of Fire Services had personnel on the ground Monday night to assist with emergency response and boat rescue teams. “To ensure our residents’ safety,” Healey added.
Expected dry weather on Tuesday
Flash floods and flash flood warnings for Leominster and Fitchburg, as well as the surrounding areas are expected to continue until Monday morning at 8 am.
As of 11:15 p.m., flash flood warnings in other parts of southern New England were no longer valid.
Around 9 pm on Monday, radar estimates showed that six to nine inches had fallen in the last few hours around Leominster. The city was already soaked by rainy weather earlier this summer.
Radar estimates show that a stretch of towns north of Providence, near North Attleboro, and along the Massachusetts/Rhode Island boundary to the south of Providence had well over 7 inches of rainfall in just a few hours.
After midnight, the steady rains and showers that flooded southern New England on Monday evening have largely dissipated.
On Tuesday there will be some spotty rain showers, but they should move faster and less intensely than the rain that fell on Monday.
On Wednesday, more scattered showers with thunderstorms is forecast.
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