Leominster sets eyes on recovery following devastating floods, how to help
LEOMINSTER – Now that the water has receded, the city of Leominster is setting its eyes on recovery: where it's needed, and what needs to be done.
It will be weeks before the city is restored, according to Mayor Dean Mazzarella. For city infrastructure alone, his estimated amount of damage is between $25 and $40 million.
School will reopen on Thursday on a delay, and Mazzarella asked for patience as the school buses navigate damaged and closed city roads.
In the meantime, volunteers are showing up to help with recovery. Dozens of neighbors came to the Emergency Management building Wednesday to fill sandbags, which were then transported to city streets to stop the flow of floodwater.
The Red Cross and Salvation Army have already begun their efforts.
Members from Team Rubicon, "a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises," showed up Wednesday to assess the damage. They estimate they'll have a team in the city soon to do a "muck out," according to local leader Steve Scott. "So basically, there's been a lot of flooding basis in this area, and we expect it will be sending teams…and going into peoples' basement and clearing out wet furniture, clearing out wet debris, even if necessary, taking out wet sheetrock and wet fiberglass," he explained.
In addition, if you're interested in helping with recovery, the city is directing donations to two places: checks to be mailed to the Mayor's Office at 25 West Street in Leominster, or through donations to the United Way of North Central Mass. Relief Fund.
To donate, Text FLOODRELIEF to 50155 or visit uwncm.org/leominster-flood-relief.
"We are going to try to ease the burden in any way we can. Extra trash pickup, sump pumps, anything we can do to just help out," Mazzarella said.
Ginny's Helping Hand is also accepting donations of food, personal items, and clothing. "Everything that comes in we always go through it, sort it," said Brandon Robbins.
And people have been stepping up to donate. "I think this has put even the person in the best circumstances, maybe not in the greatest of circumstances at this time and we are here to help them," Robbins said.
Ginny's, at 52 Mechanic St. in Leominster, opens at 10 a.m. Anyone who has been impacted by the storms can go and pick up clothes or food for free.