A storm with strong winds and heavy rainfall has resulted in flooding homes, buildings and streets for the third time in five months.
According to the National Weather Service, nearly four inches of rain fell during the morning of Jan. 10, with wind gusts reported at 41 mph. The flooding caused delays in the morning commute, as all North Attleborough Public Schools opened two hours later than normal. Preschool sessions at the Early Learning Center on School Street were canceled.
According to the North Attleborough Fire Department, vehicles were trapped in high waters on N. Washington Street, necessitating that the drivers be rescued by firefighters. Instances of flooding were reported near 21 East St., Chestnut Street, Route 120, Rosana Avenue and Route 1. The town urged drivers to avoid these areas during the morning hours.
The Ten Mile River and Whitings Pond also suffered overflows during the storm, flooding nearby houses. According to the Fire Department, reports of power outages were minimal. Still, some High Street and Payson Lane homes saw water in their basements.
Typically, storms in January would have blizzard-like conditions. Because of temperatures reaching nearly 51 degrees, however, the storm caused roads to be flooded with water, instead of snow.
This is the third such instance of flooding in North Attleborough within the last five months. In August, an EF1 tornado brought 90 mph winds to town, damaging trees and causing window damage to houses in the Lisa Drive and Mary Ann Way area. The downtown area was flooded as a result of the tornado.
On the evening of Sept. 11, a rainstorm brought heavy flash flooding to North Attleborough. The floods resulted in damage to 200 homes in the town. More than 10 inches of rain fell during the evening, and more than 2,000 power outages were reported. The town is still awaiting President Joe Biden to sign a declaration to approve disaster relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
While this week’s storm on Jan. 10 was not as strong as that of Sept. 11, it did bring back bad memories for those whose homes were flooded late last year.
In a post on Facebook, Kristine Bonneau said the storm has brought anxiety to her family. Bonneau and her family’s house was flooded during the Sept. 11 storm. The damage was so extensive that they had to move in with extended family. Even as she prepares to move back into her home, the storms have brought nothing but worry.
“We have a layer of sandbags at the end of the driveway, another against the garage door and then two layers inside the garage,” Bonneau wrote. “We can’t live like this.”
