Recovery from Rhode Island flooding could take monthsFlood-weary residents in Rhode Island surveyed the damage as waters started receding, with officials saying Thursday the long-term recovery could take months.
"The Pawtuxet River, which impacts our community, crested," said Fire Battalion Chief Joseph Greenwell. "But at this point, there's widespread damage throughout the city from the river, which overflowed its banks."
The Northeast, particularly Rhode Island, battled flooded roads and basements for most of the week. Many of the schools in the region remained closed Thursday.
"We haven't had anything that's physically washed away yet, but the impact of the floodwaters rushing over the bridges and eroding the foundations of the bridges," Greenwell said. "The water is still too high to determine exactly what the damage is going to be once the floodwaters recede."
A rainstorm formed earlier in the week and soaked the Northeast on Tuesday, exacerbating the remaining effects of another major storm from two weeks ago. Rhode Island appeared to fare the worst.
"It's too early to tell (the financial impact of the floods), but I would guess it will be well into the millions, without a doubt," Greenwell said.
The storm dumped 8.75 inches of rain in East Providence, 7.6 inches in downtown Providence and 5 inches in Cranston, all in Rhode Island, said Tom Econopouly, a senior hydrologist at the Northeast River Forecast Center in Taunton, Massachusetts.
All eyes were on the Pawtuxet River, which runs through Cranston. The river crested at 20.79 feet Wednesday, nearly 12 feet above flood stage, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Advanced Hydrometeorological Service. The water level has started a slow decline.
"Pawtuxet River is now falling ... it will remain in major flood status until about midday on Friday," the National Weather Service said. The river will likely not fall below flood stage until Sunday.
Cranston Mayor Allan Fung said the city was facing "dire circumstances," even though the weather was cooperating.
In Warwick, police and fire officials said they are getting a lot of calls.
"We're still handling a lot of pump issues, utility issues," Greenwell said. "This has impacted a number of individual homes with utility issues, flooding in the basement, gas shutoffs, electrical shutoffs, that sort of thing. So it's impacted the utilities quite seriously."
Earlier in the week, President Obama extended a state of emergency for the entire state, freeing up federal dollars to help with relief efforts.
A spokesman for National Grid Energy Services said 12,000 to 14,000 customers were without electricity in the Cranston area, where a substation was underwater.
The police official said a lot of infrastructures were damaged.
"Our sewer plant, for one, is submerged. Interstate 95 has been closed down from the impact of the flood," Greenwell said. "(There are) some serious issues for the community, both in time and expense."
"The Pawtuxet River, which impacts our community, crested," said Fire Battalion Chief Joseph Greenwell. "But at this point, there's widespread damage throughout the city from the river, which overflowed its banks."
The Northeast, particularly Rhode Island, battled flooded roads and basements for most of the week. Many of the schools in the region remained closed Thursday.
"We haven't had anything that's physically washed away yet, but the impact of the floodwaters rushing over the bridges and eroding the foundations of the bridges," Greenwell said. "The water is still too high to determine exactly what the damage is going to be once the floodwaters recede."
A rainstorm formed earlier in the week and soaked the Northeast on Tuesday, exacerbating the remaining effects of another major storm from two weeks ago. Rhode Island appeared to fare the worst.
"It's too early to tell (the financial impact of the floods), but I would guess it will be well into the millions, without a doubt," Greenwell said.
The storm dumped 8.75 inches of rain in East Providence, 7.6 inches in downtown Providence and 5 inches in Cranston, all in Rhode Island, said Tom Econopouly, a senior hydrologist at the Northeast River Forecast Center in Taunton, Massachusetts.
All eyes were on the Pawtuxet River, which runs through Cranston. The river crested at 20.79 feet Wednesday, nearly 12 feet above flood stage, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Advanced Hydrometeorological Service. The water level has started a slow decline.
"Pawtuxet River is now falling ... it will remain in major flood status until about midday on Friday," the National Weather Service said. The river will likely not fall below flood stage until Sunday.
Cranston Mayor Allan Fung said the city was facing "dire circumstances," even though the weather was cooperating.
In Warwick, police and fire officials said they are getting a lot of calls.
"We're still handling a lot of pump issues, utility issues," Greenwell said. "This has impacted a number of individual homes with utility issues, flooding in the basement, gas shutoffs, electrical shutoffs, that sort of thing. So it's impacted the utilities quite seriously."
Earlier in the week, President Obama extended a state of emergency for the entire state, freeing up federal dollars to help with relief efforts.
A spokesman for National Grid Energy Services said 12,000 to 14,000 customers were without electricity in the Cranston area, where a substation was underwater.
The police official said a lot of infrastructures were damaged.
"Our sewer plant, for one, is submerged. Interstate 95 has been closed down from the impact of the flood," Greenwell said. "(There are) some serious issues for the community, both in time and expense."
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