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Nor'easter '07
Powerful storm wipes out roads throughout the area
 
 
by Brendan Berube
Contributing Writer
 
April 19, 2007
REGION — It washed out roads, flooded basements and brought down power lines, but this week's spring Nor'easter couldn't break the dedication and spirit of local town and school officials.

With 35 roads closed due to flood damage and Highway Agent Ken Roberts on vacation, Alton's highway department crews will have their work cut out for them over the next several weeks, as they try to make the town's roadways passable again.

"Last May was a baby storm compared to this one," said the department's Office Manager, Francine Bonfanti.

While it is common to lose one major road to a storm like this, she said, crews will need to repair at least four or five major roads (including Routes 28 and 28A) in the wake of Monday's Nor'easter before they can even begin work on residential roads.

"Plus, we have people whose driveways are flooded and they're screaming at us, too," Bonfanti said, urging residents to be patient.

"What good is your driveway if you haven't got a road?" she added.

Bonfanti promised that road crews would begin assessing the damage as soon as the storm had broken, and that preparations for the long and arduous process of repairing washed-out roads would start on Thursday.

A complete list of road closures can be obtained from the fire department.

Assistant Fire Chief Scott Williams agreed with Bonfanti's assessment that the damage from this storm was far worse than the flooding that occurred last May. Firefighters, he said, spent most of their time Monday and Tuesday pumping out flooded basements and conducting well-being checks at homes along the Merrymeeting River, which had risen considerably by Tuesday morning.

Homes on the bay fared better, he said, because the water level in Lake Winnipesaukee was low enough before the storm began to absorb the terrential rainfall with minimal flooding.

Shelter from the storm

According to Principal Russ Holden, it was business as usual at Prospect Mountain High School on Monday, with students enjoying a full day of classes despite the raging storm outside.

There were about 100 students absent from school Monday out of a population of 520, Holden said. A number of parents came in to dismiss their kids early, he added, and the last of the school's bus drivers called at around 4 p.m. to inform him that those students who stayed for the entire day had all been delivered home safely.

The bus company, First Student, told Holden they felt confident that their drivers could handle the road conditions Tuesday morning, so the school day went ahead as scheduled once again. At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Holden estimated that about half the student population and 97 percent of the faculty and staff had reported to school.

Cafeteria staff, he said, were also prepared to feed and temporarily house any local residents who might have lost power, and needed shelter from the storm. Holden added that Barnstead Elementary School, which was closed Tuesday, had also been used as a community shelter Monday night.

"If we needed to stay overnight [Monday or Tuesday], we could have stayed," Holden said, explaining that there is a diesel-powered backup generator on the premises capable of supplying electricity to the school for up to 30 hours on a full tank of fuel.

Students who were forced to miss school Monday and Tuesday, he said, will not be held accountable for their absence.

"The worst we've ever had it"

Barnstead Fire Chief George "Rusty" Krause summed up his impressions of this history-making storm in one sentence.

"This is the worst we've ever had it," said Krause, who was trying to get a complete picture of the damage at the department's Parade station Tuesday morning.

Faced with bridges whose abutments had been completely washed away, residents trapped beyond rescue in flooded areas, widespread power outages and miles of roads whose status was still unknown at the time of the interview, Krause said that he had never experienced a storm that wrought damage of this magnitude.

"I've seen high water before," he explained, "but I never could have imagined it could be like this. It's beyond my comprehension, really."

Krause, however, credited the town's firefighters, most of whom are volunteers, with soldiering on in the midst of the storm's overwhelming effects.

Storm shuts New Durham down

The storm did its fair share of damage in New Durham, as well, closing five roads, including Old Route 11, Davis Crossing Road and South Shore Road. Ridge Road was closed at the Alton end and also suffered a washout on the New Durham section that can be navigated with care. Cameron Road also had a navigable washout. All roads are being repaired and will be reopened as soon as safe passage is possible.

Town offices had to close Monday when power was lost, but reopened on Tuesday morning. The selectmen's meeting scheduled for Monday evening was postponed until Wednesday evening.

The New Durham Elementary School was closed both Monday and Tuesday due to storm-related damage.

Brendan Berube can be reached at 569-3126 or bberube@salmonpress.com
 

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