Reports from the National Weather Service that Cranston, Rhode Island, took on nearly 11 inches of rain in a 24-hour period made the 2 or so inches that fell on the Tri-Towns seem like a momentary sprinkle.
Nonetheless, municipal officials in the Tri-Towns are quick to address potential areas of concern.
Highway surveyors in coastal Mattapoisett (Garrett Bauer) and landlocked Rochester (Jeff Eldridge) have vastly different terrain with which to deal, but when it rains, both immediately think of a clean infrastructure.
“We go puddle jumping every time there’s rain,” said Eldridge, referring to storm drains. “We have our share of moments.”
According to Bauer, the biggest problem related to flooding during storm events is clogged catch basins and blocked culverts.
Marion Fire Chief Brian Jackvony said that the winter storm named Riley (March 2018) was the worst he has ever seen. Within hours, the snow-to-rain event knocked out power for nearly 2,000,000 on the east coast.
While glad to have the rain that visited New England over Labor Day weekend, Jackvony was cautious, noting the dry, hard ground of the summer drought. “It creates more runoff, rain doesn’t get a chance to penetrate,” he said. “Being a coastal town, it depends on where the tide is, when these storms hit.”
Jackvony identified some of Marion’s vulnerable areas as: Route 6 by the Lockheed Martin property, Spring Street just north of the Marion Fire Station, Barnabas Road, the Tabor Academy campus and Front Street down to the village area.
“Route 6 is more a problem down near Burr Brothers (boat company),” he said, noting that Creek Road has also flooded in the past.
Areas of special note for potential flooding in Mattapoisett include Aucoot beach area, Pine Island Pond neighborhood and Angelica Point. Flooding in Mattapoisett is also impacted by tide cycles with high tide being of greatest concern until seawater flows out, taking groundwater with it.
The northern part of Mattapoisett is less problematic, but Bauer said on Tuesday that crews were out cleaning and clearing basins and that residents can help simply by pulling leaf litter off of grates, allowing the stormwater to flow underground.
“Most of the northern part of (Mattapoisett) has country drainage where stormwater goes into low-lying areas” and can recharge into the ground, Bauer explained.
Residents were asked by Bauer to notify his office or the Mattapoisett Police Department if flooding becomes an issue, crews will be dispatched to the scene.
Mattapoisett and Marion master plans aim to identify and update infrastructure serving their more-vulnerable neighborhoods.
Meantime, spectacular storm events like what occurred in metro Providence over the weekend is something Jackvony suggested we anticipate more frequently in the future. “You can attribute that to climate change and what’s going on,” he said.
By Mick Colageo