Southborough Emergency Management Agency
Press
Release
March
20, 2008
The
National weather Service and the Department of Conservation and Recreation
concerned about the potential for serious flooding this spring.
Let us
start with some good news. The drought the region was in through December
is officially over, but I am sure many people knew this already. This
should limit brush fires and water shortages this spring/summer.
The bad
news is that the current conditions are prime for severe flooding throughout the
region.
With all
the rain lately; the rivers and streams are at max capacity, the ground is
saturated (or worse still frozen) and there is a huge snow pack up north.
The ideal
scenario would be for a dry and cool spring (with melting during the day
and refreezing at night) that would allow for slow melting of the snow pack.
If this occurs we may not see any flooding at all.
The worst
case scenario would be for a warm, windy and wet spring. If this occurs
the snow pack will melt rapidly (day and night) and the current ground and
stream conditions will remain saturated. This will lead to significant
flooding for a significant period of time - even to areas that do not
commonly flood. Basically it would be worse than the flooding in 2005.
Our
concerns in Southborough:
- Causeways
and bridges that cross water becoming impassible
-
Southville Road and
- The
Fayville Dam
- Flooding
of other Residential areas within town
- Flooded
homes, basements, electrical and fire hazards, power outages and drinkable
water quality.
Preparation:
- Monitor
short and long term forecasts and flood warnings
- Monitor
emergency alerts on this website or local TV and Radio stations
- Keep
stored items in basements high to avoid water damage
Please also check out
information on the Massachusetts Emergency Management (MEMA) and National
Weather Service (NWS) websites.