Rivers overflow in parts of northern NH
State officials keep watch on Connecticut, Androscoggin rivers
State officials keep watch on Connecticut, Androscoggin rivers
State officials keep watch on Connecticut, Androscoggin rivers
Some homes and businesses are surrounded by water in parts of northern New Hampshire because of recent rain and the runoff from melting snow.
At one spot in Lancaster, the Connecticut River overflowed into a gas station and surrounded a home. In Dalton, officials had to shut down Route 135 when the same river overflowed.
The flooding turning John Landrock's Lancaster yard into a small lake.
"About 10 o'clock yesterday morning, there wasn't a drop of water out here," Landrock said. "It started like a river all of a sudden. It came in through here and within a matter of four hours, just filled this up."
Landrock said he has never seen the water come up this high before.
"It's been close," he said. "I have a basement where I had to foam off the door and keep it from coming in. But no, I've never seen it this high."
The rising water also crept in on the Bridge Street parking lot of Schurman Motor Co.
"It's been getting higher and higher," said John Jaworowski of Schurman Motor Co. "Then, with the warmer weather and the rain, it really came up within the last 24 hours."
Bridge Street was down to one lane for much of the day as Department of Transportation crews tried to keep traffic moving while avoiding floodwaters. The nearby Riverside Campground sat submerged.
Susan Parker's convenience store and gas station, TJ's Truck Stop, sits alongside the river. She said she was prepared for this.
"The impact on the store itself is not that bad," she said. "We're expecting it to recede again after tonight and start going down a little bit. Then, it will be business as usual."
Flood warnings remain in effect for the Androscoggin and Connecticut rivers until further notice. State officials said the rivers will likely continue to rise before falling over the next several hours.