Rain, flooding issues close more than 30 roads across the state

A flood watch remains in effect for most of New Hampshire north and west of Manchester as of Monday. A coastal flood watch has also been issued for coastal Rockingham county from Monday afternoon through the evening.

Gusty winds were projected to increase to 20 to 35 miles per hour with some gusts reaching 40 to 50 miles per hour along the coast, according to forecasters.

The National Weather Service said Monday morning that the threat of moderate to major flooding would likely increase during the day, “especially in headwaters areas likely to experience significant snow melt.” That includes the Pemigewasset River in Plymouth and Woodstock, the Saco River in Bartlett and the Ammonoosuc River in Bethlehem.

Across the state, more than 30 roads were closed as of mid-day Monday, according to Richard Arcand, spokesperson for the Department of Transportation. Fallen trees and wires and flooding issues have closed roads, including Route 49 in Campton.

That road is next to a dam that was a cause of concern for some Monday. But Corey Clark, chief engineer at the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services’ Dam Bureau, said the dam did not fail, but was operating as it should when there is an increased volume of water.

“When the water gets high at that location, it actually does flood the adjacent road,” he said. “The road is somewhat integral as part of the dam.”

State officials are adding “stop logs” on the road to control the flow of water, Clark said, to encourage the water to flow through the dam rather than down the road.

A hydropower dam in Shelburne is also experiencing high water challenges, and a wastewater lagoon in Gorham appeared to also be experiencing flooding, according to Clark.

But the southern edge of the White Mountains is being hit the worst, he said, because of the added water from snowpack melting.

“This 4 inch-plus rainfall event that's occurring right now is not only landing on snowpack, releasing even more water into the river systems, but it's also landing on frozen ground,” he said. “The ground has very little ability to soak up any of that runoff.”

Residents near the Beebe River have been asked to voluntarily evacuate, WMUR reports.

Woodstock Fire Chief John Mackay said parts of Route 112 and Route 175 were closed Monday, and the fire department evacuated two cabins that were experiencing flooding. He said they were watching for danger as floodwaters rose near large propane tanks, and may evacuate people in the area below those tanks if waters continued rising.

“This is starting to come close to Hurricane Irene several years ago,” Mackay said.

More from this section

+2

Cities with the fastest-growing home prices in New Hampshire

Most popular boy names in the 50s in New Hampshire

New Hampshire's Median Home Price Has Increased 114% in Just 10 Years, 2nd Largest Spike in U.S.

The state has partially activated its emergency operations center “to support communities that are experiencing damage from severe rain, flooding and wind.”

Officials are urging people to exercise caution, be alert for crews clearing debris and to never drive through flooded roadways. Drivers can monitor road closures at www.newengland511.org.

Outages

As of 3 p.m. Monday, about 27,200 people were without power statewide. The majority of those were Eversource customers.

State safety officials are reminding people to stay away from downed wires and to not run a generator indoors.

Closings

WMUR reports nearly 30 early dismissals and afternoon activity cancellations for local school districts, mostly in the White Mountains region. 

Be prepared

Get the latest traffic alerts from New England 511.

Learn how to stay safe during a flood with tips from ReadyNH.gov.

•••

These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.