Leominster prepares for rainstorm as damage still lingers from devastating September floods
LEOMINSTER - Leominster Public Works spent the day clearing 17 inches of snow from various parts of the city, loading trucks up with sand and salt to treat the roads, and clearing 3,700 catch basins across town.
"We're worried about the flooding, but will stay with it," said Raymond Racine, the Director of Public Works. "We're just hoping that the snow beforehand doesn't block the catch basins that we spent all day opening so the water has a way to flow to them."
Preparing for a rainstorm is a chilling reminder of the devastating flash flooding that buckled roads, washed out train tracks, and filled up people's basements back on September 11th in Leominster. The city has permanently repaired many roads, but others have temporary repairs. Some homes are abandoned, sitting behind metal fences and sunken driveways.
The city is still waiting to hear from the Biden Administration regarding its application for a federal disaster declaration. "And what does that mean? does that mean assistance for homeowners, businesses, and the city?" asked Mayor Dean Mazzarella. "Or is it just one of those categories? So, it's still up in the air."
Still, both the mayor and director of Public Works say they're confident even temporary road fixtures from September can hold up through another rainstorm.
"We have a lot of things that are temporarily fixed, and they are safe, it's just the longevity isn't good at all so it's just a year or two or three, but they have to be permanently fixed," said Mayor Mazzarella.