Damage From Record Rainfall Has Some Massachusetts Towns Dealing With Emergency Conditions
ORANGE (CBS) - Dams are gushing in the town of Orange. Roads are blocked off to traffic. Fire Chief James Young has declared an official state of emergency to give crews time to repair the damage.
"I don't know when this rain's going to let up," said Mike Erali, thigh-deep in water by the side of the road. "It must've gotten clogged up with some leaves, so I'm trying to find out where it's leading to," he said poking around with a stick. He was concerned about his home. Even though the rain had finally taken a break Monday afternoon, the water was still creeping across the lawn. "Clear the debris out, so this way it'll drain down a little bit. It's not supposed to be this high," he said.
Down the Street, Tully Road is closed indefinitely since water caused so much damage to the underside of an already aging bridge. On Royalston Road, water surrounds a barn at a home that had to be evacuated for a few hours Sunday. "We wouldn't be standing here right now. That's how bad it was," said Charles Rzasa.
There were similar scenes in other spots across Northern Worcester County this past weekend. Roads were underwater in the neighboring town of Royalston. In Fitchburg, a resident posted a video on social media driving down a road that looked more like a river.
Back in Orange, the Public Works Department brought in heavy equipment to grade dirt roads that were scarred from the wash-out. "Being in the military, I've been all over the world, and I've never seen it like this here in New England," said Jeff McCorquodale.
Residents say they haven't seen rivers and streams overflow to such an extreme in decades.
