Major rains flood town
Published on June 17th, 1998
STONEHAM, MA - Owning an indoor pool is considered by many to be a luxury reserved for those of wealth and fame.
in the past week, however, several residents got that opportunity. The experience was less than enjoyable for these individuals as inches and, in some instances, several feet of water invaded their homes due to torrential downpours which hit the area.
Department of Public Works Director Robert Grover said that flooding in the town, especially on Saturday, was extensive.
"We had our share of flooding problems," he said. "Most of them were localized, but, in some places, they got a little out of hand."
Grover said that, on Saturday, one of the town's pumping stations, on North Street, had to be shut down due to excessive flow and replaced by a truck. Problems with pumps were also experienced on Upland Road, he said, although these were less severe.
"The sewer systems were never prepared to take that kind of flow," he said. "The drainage system was just not able to handle all the water."
The largest problem in terms of flooding, he explained, was experienced on Montvale Avenue. This roadway had to be shut down due to the overflow of the Sweetwater Brook, a waterway which runs behind Richardson Lane and Albion Avenue, down to Montvale and out through Woburn.
Some sections of the brook, Grover said, are covered with pipes. The pipe openings are covered with metal grates which are meant to keep small animals and children from entering. During strong rainstorms, however, these grates are clogged by debris which is collected when water rises in the banks.
Flooding follows, he explained, which is what occurred on Saturday. Many homes in the area received extensive basement flooding and several thousand dollars in damage.
Grover said that this problem could be avoided in the future if the town were allowed to channel the brook through pipes.
"There's various locations where I'd like to see these open brooks piped," he emphasized. "(Saturday's) storm probably made that more obvious than ever."
The amount of water which had fallen in such a short time caused drainage backups throughout the town.
Grover said this occurs occasionally due to the engineering of the town's sewer/drainage system. Stoneham, like most Massachusetts towns, has drainage systems which are able to handle water flow up to a 10 year storm (a storm so severe that it is only expected to happen once every ten years). Saturday's storm , in some areas, was estimated as a 100 year storm. This, then, would be the second 100 year storm to hit eastern Massachusetts in the past two years (the first occurring in October of 1996).
"It was a very, very hard rainfall," he said. "Probably the hardest rainfall that we've had in a June period. Usually (large storms) happen in the fall."
DPW employees weren't the only workers who had to weather the storm for the good of the town. The Fire Department also responded to a number of calls from residents who reported flooding in their homes.
Chief Lawrence Lamey said that the main responsibility of firefighters during this time was to ensure that utilities to these homes were shut down for safety purposes. The Fire Department responded to approximately 55 calls on Saturday, he said.
Grover said that, in order to design drainage systems which would handle such large amounts of water, municipalities would have to spend much larger amounts of money.
"It's a matter of cost and how much (these storms) happen," Grover said.
He explained that heavy rainfall which occurs in the spring tends to create the most damage because of an existing high ground water table. During summer months, the water table begins to fall and soil infiltration is more extensive.
"When these storms hit in the springtime, the water has no place to go," he said. "Once the ground water gets above the basement floor, it's just a matter of the water finding a crack in the basement."
Residences weren't the only structures which were hit hard by the recent rainfall. Local businesses were also affected. Several businesses in the Montvale Place shopping plaza suffered extensive flood damage.
In addition, the Town Hall Auditorium ceiling sustained water damage and even the DPW headquarters on Pine Street felt the effects as about two inches of water seeped into the basement area.
"All in all, I think Stoneham dealt with the storm very well," Grover said. "Compared to other areas, we fared very well."
Subscribe and get Home Delivery of The Independent
Save 36% off the newstand price — that's like 18 FREE issues!