OT...6 inches of rain in 2 hours...

gameusedhoop · October 4, 2011 8:28PM

Not fun at all here in Salem, MA. We had six inches of rain (a months worth) in 2 hours yesterday am. 4+ feet of water in my basement, along with many of my neighbors. Somehow my water heater still works even though it was a foot from going under totally. Have no idea why it is still working?? Gotta have the oil burner looked at, and the washer and dryer are toast.

Here is a pic of our street. My house is the one on the far left behind the trees. Every car that you see is finished. Luckily me and the wife moved ours in the downpour to safer high ground. We got soaked doing it and ran back in knee deep water at that point, but it was well worth it. They are both newer and being without would make the nightmare even worse. Now the street is lined with the stuff from everyones basement, waiting on the dumpsters promised by the city. Guess it could have been worse, no fires or anything from gas leaks and no one got electrocuted or anything, just property damage!

VikingDude · October 4, 2011 8:52PM

Holy cow! Best of luck cleaning up.

fkw · October 4, 2011 9:13PM

wow, thats crazy rain for the mainland! Looks like Hilo lol

......in 2000 we had 36" of rain in 24 hours here where I am in the hills above Hilo HI. I average 15 feet (180") of rain a year so know the rain well but that 36" in a day was outright crazy!!

I remember when I lived in NorCal theyd think a big storm was getting 2" in a day lol

Garabaldi · October 4, 2011 9:20PM

I live in RI and in May of 2010 we had a "100 year flood". I lost alot of my collection and memorabila that was downstairs due to ground water. The water came up from the ground and filled almost the whole house. Water can do alot of damage very quickly.

LodiBrewFan · October 4, 2011 9:21PM

My wife got six inches last night for about two hours!!

and if I find that guy, he will be in trouble!!!

pmcollectour · October 4, 2011 9:22PM

Sorry about that Steve. That is a tough thing to go through. How did you guys get all that rain ? Did it just sit over your town
and not move ? I didn't hear of any other places in the northeast getting hammered.

Dboneesq · October 4, 2011 9:57PM

Steve ... hope your neighbors and you get thru it safely. GOOD LUCK.

gameusedhoop · October 5, 2011 1:25AM

<< <i>Sorry about that Steve. That is a tough thing to go through. How did you guys get all that rain ? Did it just sit over your town >>

A real low pressure area came in from over the ocean. It was a continuous band about 10-15 miles wide and just freight trained from here to the Merrimack valley where it pretty much broke apart. Thunder, lightning, and Florida type downpours continuously for 2+ hours. It hit just about 15 minutes after high tide so the water had no where to go. We're right near the shore so every little brook and river from the surrounding area drains this way.

Just got the new water heater put in, it had hot water this moring 24 hours after it went out, but once that 40 gallons was gone that was it. Oil burner guy is on the way later today to look at that, can't imagine that it will be good news. The mayor is trying to get MEMA and FEMA involved, hopefully they can reimburse some of the costs. So far we only have 2 of the 3 promised dumpsters and they are already overflowing and that is with the scrap guys taking as much stuff and they can get their hans on.

Manhole when it gets overtaxed. This is another reason no to drive through large puddles. The cover is most likely displaced.

Sean1125 · October 5, 2011 1:27AM

<< <i>

<< <i>Sorry about that Steve. That is a tough thing to go through. How did you guys get all that rain ? Did it just sit over your town >>

A real low pressure area came in from over the ocean. It was a continuous band about 10-15 miles wide and just freight trained from here to the Merrimack valley where it pretty much broke apart. Thunder, lightning, and Florida type downpours continuously for 2+ hours. It hit just about 15 minutes after high tide so the water had no where to go. We're right near the shore so every little brook and river from the surrounding area drains this way.

Just got the new water heater put in, it had hot water this moring 24 hours after it went out, but once that 40 gallons was gone that was it. Oil burner guy is on the way later today to look at that, can't imagine that it will be good news. The mayor is trying to get MEMA and FEMA involved, hopefully they can reimburse some of the costs. So far we only have 2 of the 3 promised dumpsters and they are already overflowing and that is with the scrap guys taking as much stuff and they can get their hans on. >>

Good luck, I remember back in Florida the flood in 96 or 97, we had to paddle by canoe to get around (lived on a farm), and no cars worked except for some of the guys with trucks raised several feet with ridiculously big wheels.

YogiBerraFan · October 5, 2011 1:38AM

That is horrible. I wish you the best.

alnavman · October 5, 2011 2:04AM

good luck with efforts to secure any kind of financing for costs incurred.....the street next to mine had flooding twice this year and so far no help from any type of governmental agencies for costs....they've basically said nature at it's worse.......friends of my family had flooding in the spring and again in July...had just finished cleaning up the first mess and had to start over again. Luckily my house only had some water back up from the rainwater, no sewage......I'm in the process of having my house waterproofed again this week.....what a mess.

al.

divecchia · October 5, 2011 2:20AM

That is terrible, but thankfully as you said no one was seriously hurt.

I wish the best for you and your neighbors.

Donato

alnavman · October 5, 2011 3:32AM

hopefully your collection was above the water crest........or all in psa holders....which makes one wonder if they are waterproof

VitoCo1972 · October 5, 2011 3:46AM

Sorry to see and good luck with the recovery. I can't imagine getting that much rain in LA. If we did, the mudslides would be a serious threat.

pclpads · October 5, 2011 3:55AM

Hope your man-cave and your collection weren't in the basement. Sorry to hear this. Best wishes to you.

gameusedhoop · October 5, 2011 4:03AM

Nothing of importance in the basement except for the utilities. Phon and electric were OK, hot water heater and oil burner were the major casulties. Washer and dryer were collateral damages.

daverat · October 5, 2011 4:31AM

Wow, best wishes to you. We could really use that rain over in texas

handyman · October 5, 2011 7:20AM

Please send it to Texas!

MCMLVTopps · October 5, 2011 10:15AM

Steve,

Incredible picture!! Never experienced that kind of rain when I lived there, but recall many 2' ++ snowstorms when I was a kid...I'm sure I'd gladly take the snow over that kind of water. I was there briefly in 2000 when that 30"+ snowstorm hit the Lowell-Lawrence-Methuen corridor...pretty crazy then.

Hope all goes well in recovering from that mess!

Al

relaxed · October 5, 2011 10:41AM

That is an amazing picture. Hope you and your neighbors recover asap. To think that we got our first rain today in months in L.A. probably 1" of rain.