Flood Damages Estimate Expected
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 – An estimate of flood damage in Massachusetts should be available early next week, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
Assessment teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are reviewing damages in the affected areas to determine the level of federal assistance that will be needed.
“This is a very unique situation,” said Peter Judge, spokesperson for the Massachusetts agency. “We should have some more information in about a week or so to so ??? which counties will be available for assistance. We currently have federal assistance in Bristol County, just in case the [Whittendon Pond] Dam does break.”
Mr. Judge said that his agency was still waiting to hear about a federal declaration of emergency in the affected counties.
“Once the areas are fully assessed, FEMA will have an 800 number that people can call,” Mr. Judge said. “Callers can get a registration number and make an appointment to have an inspector come out.”
Earlier this week, the Massachusetts members of Congress, including Sens. Edward M. Kennedy and John Kerry and Reps. John Olver, D-Amherst, James McGovern, D-Worcester, and Richard Neal, D-Springfield, sent a letter to President Bush supporting Gov. Mitt Romney’s request for a disaster declaration for the entire state.
“Flooding has forced thousands of residents from their homes and caused widespread property damage,” the letter read. “High winds pose an additional hazard of potentially uprooting trees, causing further damage. Already, 75 communities have reported serious flooding, including 30 which have undergone evacuations.”
Heavy rainfall in the past week has made water levels in the 173-year-old Whittendon Pond Dam increasingly threatening. The possibility of a collapse has forced the evacuation of 2,000 residents and has closed numerous schools and businesses.
Officials have been working feverishly in the past day to pump water out of the pond at a rate of about 30,000 gallons per minute.
