

074 

RWUS32 KBOS 230254

FFSBOS

CTZ002-MAZ005>007-012>019-RIZ001>004-231145-



URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA

955 PM EST THU MAR 22 2001



...FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR HARTFORD COUNTY CONNECTICUT 

AS WELL AS THE NORTHERN HALF OF RHODE ISLAND AND MOST OF EASTERN 

MASSACHUSETTS INTO FRIDAY AFTERNOON...



THESE FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...  

IN MASSACHUSETTS - BRISTOL  ESSEX  MIDDLESEX  NORFOLK  SUFFOLK 

   AND PLYMOUTH

  IN RHODE ISLAND - KENT AND PROVIDENCE 

  IN CONNECTICUT - HARTFORD



THE FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELED FOR SOUTHERN WORCESTER COUNTY.



NEAR RECORD FLOODING IS OCCURRING ON THE ABERJONA RIVER AS THE RIVER 

APPROACHES THE STAGE REACHED DURING THE DEVASTATING FLOOD OF OCTOBER 

1996.  MODERATE SMALL RIVER AND STREAM FLOODING WAS OCCURRING 

ELSEWHERE IN THE WARNED AREAS AS RUNOFF CONTINUES FROM TODAYS HEAVY 

RAINFALL OF 3 TO 7 INCHES.  



NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO SHOW AREAS OF 

MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN FROM NORTHERN BRISTOL AND PLYMOUTH 

COUNTIES NORTHWARD THROUGH THE MERRIMACK VALLEY.  THIS AREA IS 

LIFTING VERY SLOWLY NORTHWARD.  AS A RESULT...AN ADDITIONAL HALF 

INCH OF RAIN IS LIKELY THROUGH THE PREDAWN HOURS ACROSS THE 

NORTHEAST PART OF MASSACHUSETTS.  



ELSEWHERE...RAIN HAS DIMINISHED CONSIDERABLY ACROSS RHODE ISLAND AND 

NORTHERN CONNECTICUT BUT RUNOFF WILL CONTINUE INTO MIDDAY FRIDAY AS 

RIVERS BEGIN A SLOW RECESSION.



...ESSEX AND MIDDLESEX COUNTIES...

THIS CONTINUES TO BE THE HARDEST HIT REGION.  MANY RIVERS AND 

STREAMS ARE IN FLOOD WITH CONSIDERABLE URBAN FLOODING AS WELL.  

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TONIGHT WILL ONLY AGGRAVATE CONDITIONS FURTHER.  

THE ABERJONA RIVER WILL CREST AT ITS FLOOD OF RECORD...OR SLIGHTLY 

ABOVE...NEAR 17 FEET BEFORE DAYBREAK. 



MOST OF THE OTHER SMALLER TRIBUTARIES HAVE CRESTED OR WILL DO SO 

OVERNIGHT.  SEVERAL SLOWER RESPONDING RIVERS INCLUDING THE IPSWICH 

RIVER MAY NOT CREST UNTIL LATER FRIDAY WITH MINOR FLOODING EXPECTED 

ALONG THE IPSWICH.



SOME AREAS HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED EVACUATIONS AND ROAD CLOSURES. 

IF FLOODING OCCURS IN YOUR AREA AND YOU ARE ASKED TO EVACUATE...DO 

SO IMMEDIATELY.  FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF LOCAL OFFICIALS AND STAY OUT 

OF FLOODED AREAS. 



...PROVIDENCE AND KENT COUNTIES...

TRIBUTARIES TO THE BLACKSTONE RIVER...AS WELL AS THE PAWTUXET RIVER 

WILL CONTINUE TO RISE TONIGHT.  URBAN FLOODING WHICH WAS A 

SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM DURING THE DAY HAS DIMINISHED BUT FLOODING WILL 

CONTINUE ALONG THE LARGER RIVERS INCLUDING THE PAWTUXET INTO MIDDAY 

FRIDAY.  



THIS WILL BE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FLOODING THE PAWTUXET BASIN HAS 

SEEN SINCE 1984.  AS OF 930 PM...THE PAWTUXET RIVER AT CRANSTON WAS 

AT 11.1 FEET AND WAS CRESTING AT THIS TIME.  THE SOUTH BRANCH OF THE 

PAWTUXET WAS STILL RISING WHILE THE SCITUATE RESERVOIR WAS AT 97 

PERCENT CAPACITY.  THIS MEANS THAT SIGNIFICANT RUNOFF WILL CONTINUE 

THROUGH THE MAINSTEM PAWTUXET OVERNIGHT AND THE MAINSTEM MAY SEE 

ANOTHER SMALL RISE BEFORE BEGINNING A MORE COMPLETE RECESSION DURING 

FRIDAY.  FLOOD PRONE AREAS INCLUDE LOWER LYING SECTIONS OF 

SCITUATE...WEST WARWICK...WARWICK AND CRANSTON.



...NORFOLK SUFFOLK BRISTOL AND PLYMOUTH COUNTIES...

TRIBUTARIES TO THE CHARLES AND NEPONSET RIVERS...AS WELL AS OTHER 

SMALL RIVERS SUCH AS THE TEN MILE...WADING AND THREE MILE RIVERS 

WILL CONTINUE TO RISE TONIGHT.  AT 930 PM...THE WADING RIVER IN 

NORTON WAS ABOUT TO RISE OVER ITS 9.5 FOOT FLOOD STAGE.  



THESE RIVERS ARE TYPICALLY SLOWER TO RESPOND TO HEAVY RAIN...AND MAY 

NOT CREST UNTIL FRIDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING.  URBAN FLOODING WILL 

ALSO CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT NOT 

EXPECTED UNTIL FRIDAY.



...HARTFORD COUNTY...

THE STAGE ON THE QUINNIPIAC RIVER AT SOUTHINGTON WAS 4.4 FEET AT 930 

PM...OR ABOUT 1 FOOT ABOVE FLOOD STAGE.  THIS RIVER WILL CONTINUE TO 

SLOWLY SUBSIDE OVERNIGHT AND SHOULD FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE BY LATE 

FRIDAY AFTERNOON. 



IF YOU HAVE BEEN ASKED TO EVACUATE...BE SURE TO TURN OFF ALL 

ELECTRICAL AND GAS APPLIANCES. IF THEY BECOME DAMAGED BY FLOOD 

WATERS...DISCARD THEM ONCE YOU ARE ABLE TO RETURN TO YOUR HOME OR 

BUSINESS.



FOR THOSE OUT TRAVELING OVERNIGHT...NEVER ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES 

OR ROADS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. IT ONLY TAKES A FOOT OR TWO 

OF WATER TO WASH MOST CARS AWAY. KNOW SOME ALTERNATE ROUTES BEFORE 

YOU START TRAVELING IN CASE ROADS HAVE BEEN FLOODED AND CLOSED.



$$

VALLEE

