Update: 5:23
The rain is still pummeling Massachusetts. Governor Deval Patrick is out braving the weather to tour the damage done by flood waters.
“There’s been quite a bit of damage from mother nature,” said Governor Patrick who declared a state of emergency this afternoon.
“We’re going to need some federal resources for clean-up.”
Fire departments and police have been scrambling across the eastern part of the state to keep up with calls. Residents are struggling with sewage back-up and flooded basements. Some neighborhoods have been evacuated.
“I have seen extraordinary heroism actually trying to save the dam at the Charles River in downtown Waltham,” said Patrick. “A state worker was out removing pins and some plates to relieve pressure behind the dam.”
Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy escorted the Governor across town showing him businesses underwater and swamped roads.
“I’m 56 years old. Everybody tells me it’s never been that high,” said McCarthy. “There’s a lot of people in Waltham. Flooding problems, sewer problems. Heartache, heartache, heartache.”
Update: 4:18
The evening commute is expected to be messy as rain continues to fall steadily. Roads and intersections are flooded forcing authorities to divert traffic in the metro Boston area. Some interstate exits remain closed. Melrose, Lawrence and Waltham have been hit hard- residents have been forced to evacuate homes in some areas. The Charles River is up and over it’s banks on Linden street in Waltham flooding businesses, vehicles and an apartment buildings.
Update: 3:19
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has declared a state of emergency citing the flooding that has forced road closures and evacuations in many cities and towns. He says the storm has stalled and state authorities are monitoring waterways and dams as rain continues to fall.
Post: 12:04
Rains and wind battered the east coast over the weekend and the slow moving storm continues to dump water on New England.
In Boston and the surrounding area rain is falling and authorities in many cities and towns are blocking streets in low lying areas where intersections and roads are swamped. Peabody and Woburn are among the hardest hit communities.
An apartment building in Waltham, Massachusetts was evacuated when the Charles River came over the banks. Roughly a dozen residents were brought to safety by heavy equipment.
Coastal flooding is a concern and fire departments along the coast are keeping a close eye on the raging waters slamming against sea walls on Cape Cod and the south shore.
Some interstate ramps have been closed due to flooding, snarling traffic. The evening commute is expected to be messy as well.
Storm drains and sewage lines are at maximum capacity in Boston and nearby Quincy where sewage is backing up into some homes.
At the height of the storm hundreds of thousands of people lost power from New Jersey to New Hampshire and today sporadic outages remain.
High winds brought trees down hitting wires and causing a multitude of power outages and several deaths.
Clean up efforts are underway south of Massachusetts. Contractors are clearing trees and utility workers are trying to get the lights back on in spots across New Jersey.