Oct 26, 2006 4:17 pm US/Eastern
Mother's Day Floods: May 2006
Linda Marler Hutchins, Hydrologist Department of Conservation and Recreation
(WBZ)
Early spring 2006 was exceptionally dry. In fact, March 2006 was the second driest on record and precipitation in April was only 50% of normal. Brush fire danger was running high until the heavy rains of May. Mother's Day weekend 2006 was anything but a time to celebrate in northeast Massachusetts and south central New Hampshire. Relentless rains began Friday evening and lasted through Monday morning (May 12th to 15th). The 100 hour soaking was driven by a stationary area of low pressure south of Boston which tapped into deep tropical moisture over the Atlantic. Storm totals close to 12" were recorded at many locations in Essex County (May totals eventually topped 15-20"!).
Rivers flowed over bridges, into streets and filled basements forcing road closures and emergency evacuations. Dams in Rowley and Rockport were breached and water thundered over the Spicket River Dam in Methuen, eroding the streets below. The Powwow River in Amesbury overflowed and swept through the downtown. In Ipswich, two of the three downtown bridges were weakened by the normally tranquil Ipswich River, leaving only one bridge to traverse town. Route 1, a major conduit to Boston and Logan Airport, was closed by the Saugus River for several days. Serious flooding also occurred along the "mighty" Merrimack as docks from marinas and other water born debris piled up at the mouth of the river. Although this rainstorm occurred after three dry months (February to April), 3-6" of rain had already fallen in early May, setting the stage for serious flooding.
The "Mother's Day" storm contributed to historic rainfall totals for the month of May and stream flows for the record books. A federal disaster was declared, ensuring financial relief for flood victims. According to U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) flow measurements, the Merrimac River in Lowell was at its highest flood stage since the Hurricane of '38 and the third highest ever measured. Floods of this magnitude occur in this area every 40 to 150 years a once in a lifetime weather event.
A submerged truck sits idle in deep floodwaters just off Route 97 in Salem, New Hampshire. Photo courtesy of Joelle Marie Fagan. The Ipswich River floods its banks in May 2006. The swift currents surround office buildings, flooding them with several feet of water. Photo courtesy of Dianne Ross.
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