# The Southern Maine Floods.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 15, 2006, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-southern-maine-floods/356771 "2006-05-15T00:05:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-southern-maine-floods/356771/21 "2006-05-16T12:15:43Z")
I know several of those areas well, especial #9 and #10. Getting in to work today was interesting – you could never tell whioch roads were going to be blocked off, and most of the traffic was funneled into the main roads (128/95 and 93, where I am). Route 1 was closed in my town of Saugus. Completely. All the businesses are shut down. Getting home will vwe interesting, too – the road I came in on is closed in the other direction, and most of the other ones are flooded out. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-southern-maine-floods/356771/22 "2006-05-16T13:36:47Z")
I have a double whammy - I commute from Saugus _to_ southern Maine (North Berwick). It actually hasn’t been too bad - just take the cross roads over Route 1 up to 128, then shoot up against the traffic. Saugus HS, right on Route 1, is actually open today. Route 1 is just not all that necessary to local traffic. It’s a shame to see the TV shots of the water almost up to the windows at Prince Pizza, though. They’re a major local philanthropy, they’re going to need a lot of help from the community in return now, and they’ll no doubt get it. So will everyone in flood-plain distance of the Saugus River, including our favorite Domino’s, Dunkin Donuts, and Chinese takeout joint. I have a lot of friends in York, Kennebunk, and Wells ME still pumping out their basements, or even just waiting until they can while the rain continues. It’s not a problem for me, living on top of a hill - my problems are in winter with snow. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-southern-maine-floods/356771/23 "2006-05-16T13:40:43Z")
[Flood photos from southern ME/NH](http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/flood2006/flood100.htm). ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-southern-maine-floods/356771/24 "2006-05-16T13:43:45Z")
Hey, **ElvisL1ves** , I didn’t know you lived in Saugus! You’ll have to stop by sometime. The problem isn’t just that Route 1 is closed – so are the Lynn Fells Parkway and Rte 129 and 107 and lots of other byways. The same thing shutting down Rte 1 is also closing down a lot of those secondary roads I’d take if avoiding Route 1, like Elm Street and Water Street and a slew of others in Saugus and surrounding communities. Getting home will be a btch. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-southern-maine-floods/356771/25 "2006-05-16T13:50:08Z")
Sure, Cal, when’s the Sachem DopeFest at your backyard grill? 😃 I’m on the hill running along the south side of Winter Street. The ark can land on my driveway in another 40 days. Just avoid the streets that go down river valleys and you’ll be fine. I had to run an errand on the way home yesterday that took me out to I-93, but it wasn’t a problem getting home via North Ave in Wakefield and upper Main Street in Saugus. It shouldn’t be different today. If I had to go east of Route 1 I’d still take 128 back past Walnut to Montrose and back that same way. Suit yourself, though. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-southern-maine-floods/356771/26 "2006-05-16T13:58:20Z")
> [@](#): > > I had to run an errand on the way home yesterday that took me out to I-93, but it wasn’t a problem getting home via North Ave in Wakefield and upper Main Street in Saugus. It shouldn’t be different today. Well, North Ave in Wakefield was closed on my way in today, and I don’t know if it’ll be open when I come back. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-southern-maine-floods/356771/27 "2006-05-16T14:07:38Z")
Come to think of it, last night I came down 28 through Stoneham, then Albion Street over to North Ave, not right off 128 past the pond, and it wasn’t a problem. But if Montrose hasn’t flooded yet it probably won’t. Well, good luck. Check [WBZ’s traffic reports](http://www.wbz.com/pages/8227.php#05) for the most detail I can find. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-southern-maine-floods/356771/28 "2006-05-16T14:26:20Z")
[The local streets:](http://www.thedailyitemoflynn.com/news/view.bg?articleid=12070) > [@](#): > > The following Saugus streets are closed: > > ``` > Route 1 north and south from Route 60 to Route 128; The Lynn Fells Parkway from Route 1 to Main Street; Hamilton Street; Saville Street; Elm Street; Hawkes Street; Water Street at Saugus/Wakefield line; Water Street to Walnut Street; Walnut Street approximately from the Kohl's Plaza to Lynnfield; Sweetwater Street is flooded. > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-southern-maine-floods/356771/29 "2006-05-16T15:10:58Z")
Bartletts Brook had been dammed last night, work crews worked all day depositing sand, dirt, and rocks to stop the uncontrolled water flow over the remnants of the road, there’s no more water over the road, it’s draining through the culvert, creating a little whirlpool on the flooded side my area (Eliot, Maine and Dover NH) had been spared for the most part, York Beach is _hammered_, as are places in NH, and Mass, we got away with some minor annoyances, roads out and suchlike, no structural flooding though, we got lucky Mods, could you change the thread title to the New England Floods, as it clearly is affecting more than Maine… thanks for all the well wishes, we’re fine, but lets save the well wishes for people that actually _need_ them, i’m just inconvenienced… ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-southern-maine-floods/356771/30 "2006-05-16T16:59:53Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > Here in New England, we’re in the midst of a soaking storm, it’s been raining heavily the past 3+ days, Mass, and NH have already declared states of emergency, Maine has also declared a SoE, many places are experiencing low-level flooding… > > No, it’s nothing compared to Katrina, but bear in mind, New England hasn’t had major, widespread flooding in a long time, so it’s new to us… [These](http://www.maine.gov/mema/prepare/prep_gallery_display.shtml?id=15911) are some pics from my hometown Gardiner, ME in 1987. It was rains combined with a big melt that wrecked us then. The Kennebec was bad, as was the Androscoggin and a couple others back then. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2006, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-southern-maine-floods/356771/31 "2006-05-16T23:39:55Z")
**MacTech** , have you been down Watson road in Dover yet? It was reopen this afternoon, and they corded off a large section of the road that’s folded like one of those Jacob’s Ladder toys! So far none of the roads in my town look nearly that damaged, thankfully. I haven’t tried all of them yet, though. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-southern-maine-floods/356771/32 "2006-05-17T12:15:49Z")
Good Lord, the sun came out! We must sacrifice a Black Ram to Apollo. Lotsa roads still closed, and still more open but with deep rivers running through them. There are many piles of sodden carpeting along the roads, and house with one to five hoses pumping water out of the basements. I pased one house that seemed to have a fire hose coming out of iys basement, and it was going full bore! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-southern-maine-floods/356771.md?page=1)