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RWUS32 KBOS 231002

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CTZ002-MAZ005>007-012>019-RIZ001>004-231900-



URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA

455 AM EST FRI MAR 23 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





RECORD FLOODING IS OCCURRING ON THE ABERJONA RIVER AS THE RIVER 

CRESTED AT A STAGE OF 16.90 WHICH IS JUST ABOVE 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 THURSDAYS HEAVY RAINFALL OF 3 TO 7 INCHES.  



AT 4 AM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THAT PRECIPITATION 

ACROSS THE WARNING AREA WAS COMING TO AN END...WITH STATIONS 

REPORTING CLOUDY SKIES WITH ONLY SPOTTY PRECIPITATION BEING 

REPORTED. BY NOON PRECIPITATION WILL HAVE COME TO AN END ACROSS THE 

WARNING AREA. 



...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. THE 

WATERS OF THE ABERJONA WILL GRADUALLY RECEDE BUT THE RIVER WILL 

REMAIN IN FLOOD INTO THIS EVENING. 



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

EARLY THIS MORNING.  SEVERAL SLOWER RESPONDING RIVERS INCLUDING THE 

IPSWICH RIVER WHICH HAS GONE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE MAY NOT CREST UNTIL 

LATER TODAY 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 OR HOLD STEADY THIS MORNING.  URBAN FLOODING 

WHICH WAS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM DURING THE DAY THURSDAY HAS 

DIMINISHED BUT FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE LARGER RIVERS 

INCLUDING THE PAWTUXET INTO THIS AFTERNOON.  



THIS WILL BE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FLOODING THE PAWTUXET BASIN HAS 

SEEN SINCE 1984.  THE SOUTH BRANCH OF THE PAWTUXET WAS STILL RISING 

WHILE THE SCITUATE RESERVOIR WAS AT JUST OVER 98 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 LATER TODAY.  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 

HAVE EITHER REACHED THEIR CREST OR WILL DO SO AROUND MID DAY.   

URBAN FLOODING WILL ALSO CONTINUE THROUGH THIS MORNING...WITH 

SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT NOT EXPECTED UNTIL THIS AFTERNOON.



...HARTFORD COUNTY...

THE STAGE ON THE QUINNIPIAC RIVER AT SOUTHINGTON WAS 3.8 FEET AT 4 

AM...OR ABOUT A HALF A FOOT ABOVE FLOOD STAGE.  THIS RIVER WILL 

CONTINUE TO SLOWLY SUBSIDE THIS MORNING AND SHOULD FALL BELOW FLOOD 

STAGE BY AROUND NOON. 



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.



$$

DUNHAM

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