rain
Norwood Airport remains closed to airplanes today as workers clean up after the mighty Neponset flooded the field. The scene on Tuesday.
MassDOT provided this photo of workers busy repairing the flooded-out Riverside track bed yesterday. Compare to the photos from the height of the nor'easter. The state expects to have service restored by Monday.
Laura Scannell watched a raging stream at the Arnold Arboretum yesterday. Later, David Schachner took in the view from East Boston. Look at that sky.
Copyright Laura Scannell and David Schachner, respectively. Both posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.
The mayor's office announced today:
The Department of Public Works has inspectors out across the city identifying potholes for crews to fill. Today, the DPW has 5 crews patrolling the streets and there will be 10 crews tomorrow through Saturday – one in each city district, filling potholes they have identified. The DPW's increased patrol effort aims to fill as many potholes as possible in the next week.
Fabulously Out There snapped the Greenway, a former rail line turned recreational path, in East Boston today.
Compare to this photo of an actual flooded stream at the Arnold Arboretum.
Needham Line train: Passing between the Charles (foreground) and Cutler Park this afternoon.
In the 1970s, the Corps abandoned plans for a massive series of levees and flood-control dams along the Charles River and instead bought up or acquired easements to 8,100 acres of land along the river from Millis to Boston. The land acts like a sponge - absorbing large amounts of water during heavy rains and the releasing it slowly afterward, reducing the amount of flooding in built up areas - such as Cambridge and the Back Bay. Not only does it work (in conjuction with giant pumps installed at the New Charles River Dam at the river's mouth), it cost 10% of the levee/dam plan.
You can get a good view of the plan in action from the top of Millennium Park in West Roxbury (Ed. note: Only an idiot, or a Universal Hub editor, will go to the top in the middle of a nor'easter), built into a curve on the Charles. There's flood-control land on either side, including Cutler Park, which, while marshy, does not usually look like a lake.
Gov. Patrick just declared a state of emergency for Massachusetts. So, H2OMG? Aguageddon? The Spring-Ahead Storm?
The state runs down road closings, train problems and other weather-related issues.
MassDOT is posting info on numbered routes.
Now if only they could get Gary LaPierre to read the list ...
MORNING UPDATE: The Muddy River dropped below flood stage overnight (graph), so it looks like Riverside service is back. But looks like the Red Line between Ashmont and Fields Corner has been knocked out by flooding. Also, the main road through Franklin Park is shut, mhowardkarp reports.
In general, of course, but more specifically at:
Rte. 128 southbound to Winter Street in Waltham: MassDOT reports flooding on Winter Street has forced the closure of the exit ramp, which could mean a nightmare for folks trying to get to business parks off that exit.
Rte. 2 eastbound to Alewife station: Ditto.
Green Line, Reservoir to Kenmore: Buses instead of trains due to Muddy River flooding near Kenmore.
UPDATE: Shortly before midnight, he tweeted: There are an awful lot of homes around here without heat, hot water and electricity."
One of the firefighters who mans Ladder 29 out of Blue Hill Avenue has been tweeting today in between runs - and it's a good thing it doesn't take long to tweet because he reports the company has been all out, responding to 20 calls as of around 9 p.m., including:
Ceiling/roof collapse, basement fire, person stranded in 4 feet of water in their car, basements 6 feet under,, etc etc
Paul Keleher braved the rain for the St. Patrick's Day parade in South Boston today.
Copyright Paul Keleher and tagged as universalhub on Flickr.
The start of the Riverway this afternoon, along the floody Muddy near Park Drive, where a BWSC crew was trying to unclog a pipe that brings the river under the road to the Fens.
Upstream, on the Brookline side of the Big Muddy:
USGS data show the Muddy's almost at flood stage (that thin red line at the very top of the chart):
Tbobtubb photographed flooding downstream along the Fens.
Richard Howe reaches into the cellar for an appropriate poem.
A giant fox now eating Alabama is expected to shift to New England tonight.
Head for high ground: The National Weather Service has issued a flash-flood watch for pretty much the entire state, starting tonight and running through tomorrow afternoon. Boston Fire Ladder 29 says now would be a good time to clear any clogged storm drains.
Is this what The Fog was like?
South Street, around 3 p.m. Fortunately, I was able to take refuge in Romano's.
Same ominous clouds a little while later, menacing the Back Bay.
Danielle Ouellette tweeted around 11:30 a.m.:
entrance to storrow by cambridge st totally flooded - at least 8 inches of standing water. the rest of storrow is bad too.
Around 1 p.m., Stephen Goldstein updated:
Storrow Dr westbound is a parking lot.
Matt Noyes at NECN predicts that after Tropical Storm Rick belts out Mexico today, its soggy remains will be carried by the jet stream toward New England and drench us on Saturday.
Should be interesting.
And reports she has yet to get hit by a flying rock, unlike the obviously tougher anchorwoman (toward the end of the segment). Oh, Shelby Scott, where have you gone?
The fast-moving storm that just hit Boston knocked down trees across the city, Boston Fireman tweets:
A tree that fell on Cooper Street in the North End blocked the street and hit a couple of parked cars, while plunging trees on Greenville Street in Roxbury and Courtland Road in Mattapan took power lines down with them. A tree also fell across the road at Alwin Street and Dietz Road in Hyde Park.
When they clear, you can get some amazing views. Sekbaavi took this photo out of her Quincy home office following a storm on Thursday.
Copyright Sekbaavi. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.
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