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563 

RWUS32 KBOS 300943

FFSBOS

CTZ002>004-MAZ004>007-011>021-RIZ001>007-302100-



BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED

FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA

441 AM EST FRI MAR 29 2001



...A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY...



THIS FLOOD WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...



IN MASSACHUSETTS

     PLYMOUTH...BRISTOL...NORFOLK...SUFFOLK...MIDDLESEX...ESSEX...

     WORCESTER...EASTERN HAMPDEN



IN CONNECTICUT

     TOLLAND...HARTFORD AND WINDHAM



IN RHODE ISLAND

     PROVIDENCE...KENT...BRISTOL...NEWPORT...AND WASHINGTON.



A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR FLOODING. IF 

YOU LIVE OR WORK IN A FLOOD PRONE AREA...TAKE TIME NOW TO PROTECT 

YOUR PROPERTY FROM FLOODING.  IN ADDITION...DAM OWNERS MAY WANT TO 

TAKE A MOMENT TO ENSURE THAT SPILLWAYS ARE CLEAR OF 

DEBRIS...ESPECIALLY AFTER LAST WEEKS STORM.



PRECIPITATION HAS BEEN MOSTLY LIGHT OVERNIGHT...HOWEVER THE 

INTENSITY HAS BEGUN TO INCREASE SINCE 4 AM. THE PRECIPITATION HAS 

BEEN IN THE FORM OF RAIN SOUTH OF THE MASS PIKE AND SNOW TO THE 

NORTH. ONCE THE SUN COMES UP MOST ALL AREAS WILL CHANGE OVER TO 

RAIN...THE EXCEPTION WILL BE SOUTHWEST NEW HAMPSHIRE WHERE MIXED 

PRECIPITATION WILL BE THE RULE INTO MIDDAY.



RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BY THIS EVENING... 

WITH POSSIBLY AS MUCH AS 4 INCHES IN A FEW LOCATIONS IN RHODE ISLAND 

AND EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS.  THE HEAVIEST RAIN SHOULD FALL ROUGHLY 

BETWEEN 7 AM AND 3 PM TODAY.



THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING IS IN THE MERRIMACK VALLEY OF 

NORTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS AND ALSO IN RHODE ISLAND...WHERE RIVERS AND 

STREAMS ARE RUNNING HIGH.  WIDESPREAD URBAN AND POOR DRAINAGE 

FLOODING IS LIKELY THROUGHOUT THE FLOOD WATCH AREA.



...MERRIMACK RIVER VALLEY/NORTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS...

THE OVERALL IMPACT SHOULD BE SIMILAR OR SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN THE 

FLOODING WHICH OCCURRED LAST WEEK.  FLOODING OF SMALLER RIVERS AND 

STREAMS SUCH AS THE ABERJONA...SPICKET AND IPSWICH RIVERS COULD 

OCCUR AS SOON AS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.  LARGER RIVERS THAT ARE STILL

IN FLOOD INCLUDING THE CONCORD...CHARLES AND SUDBURY RIVERS MAY 

CREST LATER THIS WEEKEND AT STAGES AS HIGH OR HIGHER THAN LAST 

WEEK.  OTHER LARGER RIVERS AND MAINSTEM TRIBUTARIES MAY FLOOD LATE 

THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING.  



...SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND...

THE OVERALL IMPACT SHOULD BE SIMILAR TO WHAT OCCURRED LAST WEEK.  

FLOODING OF SMALLER RIVERS AND STREAMS SUCH AS THE WADING... 

TAUNTON...PAWTUXET...PAWCATUCK...AND PONAGANSET RIVERS COULD BEGIN 

AS SOON AS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.  FLOODING OF LARGER RIVERS AND 

THEIR TRIBUTARIES INCLUDING THE NEPONSET AND BLACKSTONE RIVERS MAY 

OCCUR THIS EVENING.



...CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY...

FLOODING OF SMALL RIVERS AND STREAMS SUCH AS THE QUINNIPIAC AND 

QUINEBAUG RIVERS COULD OCCUR AS EARLY AS MIDDAY.  LARGER MAINSTEM 

RIVERS AND THEIR TRIBUTARIES INCLUDING THE FARMINGTON... WESTFIELD 

AND CHICOPEE RIVERS MAY BEGIN FLOODING THIS EVENING OR EARLY 

SATURDAY MORNING...WHILE THE MAINSTEM CONNECTICUT RIVER MAY NOT 

REACH FLOOD STAGE UNTIL EARLY NEXT WEEK AT THE EARLIEST.



STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR 

THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

$$



AED

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