Flood — Hampshire, Massachusetts

2007-04-16 to 2007-04-18 · near Northampton, Hampshire, Massachusetts

Event narrative

Record flooding along the Mill River caused extensive flooding in Northampton. The river crested at 15.6 feet on the 16th, which was the highest crest on record, and well above the previous record crest of 13.7 feet which occurred in October, 2005. Many roads near the river were closed and some evacuations took place as flood waters threatened nearby homes and businesses.

Minor flooding also affected the mainstem Connecticut River through Northampton. A crest of 119 feet was recorded at 430 pm on the 17th (flood stage is 112 feet).

Wider weather episode

An unusually strong and slow moving coastal storm for mid April tracked to western Long Island Sound on April 16th before weakening slowly and drifting offshore. This storm brought a variety of impacts in southern New England, including heavy snow to the higher elevations of western Massachusetts, damaging winds in excess of 60 mph, widespread river and stream flooding, and significant coastal flooding through several high tide cycles.

Snowfall totals as high as 4 to 8 inches were observed in the higher elevations of Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties. There were numerous reports of downed trees and power lines in these areas from the weight of the heavy, wet snow. Lesser storm totals of 1 to 3 inches were reported from northern Worcester into northwest Middlesex Counties. Most of this snow fell during the day on April 15th, and changed to rain at night as milder air was drawn into the interior.

East to northeast winds gusted as high as 60 mph in eastern Massachusetts. The highest gusts reported included 72 mph at the Blue Hill Observatory in Milton, 67 mph in East Falmouth, 64 mph on Nantucket, and 63 mph in Plymouth. There were widespread reports of downed trees, large branches, and power lines, as far inland as Taunton, Framingham, and Topsfield. Several roads were blocked by fallen trees in southeast Massachusetts. Wind damage was more sporadic across western and central Massachusetts.

Rainfall totals of 3 to 5 inches, combined with wet antecedent conditions, resulted in widespread river and stream flooding, as well as significant flooding of urban areas. The worst flooding affected the Merrimack Valley, where moderate to major flooding occurred on the Merrimack, Nashua, and North Nashua Rivers. For many locations, this may have been the worst flooding since the May, 2006 or April, 1987 floods ' but along the North Nashua, the preliminary crests recorded may have been the highest since the floods of September, 1938.

Many small streams throughout the region also rose out of their banks and flooded nearby areas, including roadways. Major flooding occurred along the Mill River in Northampton, which required the evacuation of nearby residents.

Minor to moderate coastal flooding occurred along the coastline of

Massachusetts through several high tide cycles, due to the combination of strong onshore winds, high seas, and astronomically high tides.

Along the South Coast, the worst coastal flooding occurred with morning high tide on April 16th, where flood waters and debris closed several shore roads. In eastern Massachusetts, the worst coastal flooding occurred with the evening high tide on April 17th. Moderate flooding forced the closure of many shore roads. There were reports of cars stranded in flood waters along the Plymouth County coast. Although no injuries or fatalities were reported, four people including two children needed to be rescued from vehicles ' one of whom nearly drowned when her car was carried away by flood waters in the Green Harbor section of Marshfield. On Nantucket, one home on Sheep Pond Road fell into the ocean after waves eroded the bluff underneath. Coastal flooding also affected Martha's Vineyard and Chatham. A breach was opened on Norton Point Beach on Chappaquiddick Island, cutting off access to Edgartown, and also on Nauset Beach in Chatham where several cottages were cut off from the mainland.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (42.3200, -72.6300)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 27767. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.