The severity of the weather through Monday left stretches of Western Massachusetts in tatters at the start of the week. On Wednesday, Governor Maura Healey and other state leaders held a press conference by a blown-out culvert that had melted into a sinkhole in North Adams.
“On the residential level, we have people who have had to evacuate their homes, we have people with septic systems that are blown that need to get pumped out, and there are many right now waiting around the state, I know, for that to happen," said the Democrat. "We've had bridges and roads wash out in places. Look at the culvert here. I mean, that's indicative of what's happening in other places. So, we've got to deal with those infrastructure needs. And then we've got the issue around agriculture and farming and that rural economy. And it was tough for a lot of farmers going into this, before this, and now it's compounded by the serious flooding.”
The sinkhole on State Street – also Route 8, a major regional thoroughfare – is just one of upwards of 20 city roads washed out by the storm. North Adams – the Berkshires’ second largest community – is estimating that it faces at least $2 million in damages. Healey has yet to announce what aid the state or possibly federal government will contribute to the cleanup effort.
“Look at our neighbors to the north and the west in Vermont," said the governor. "Devastating. They expect it'll be worse than [Hurricane] Irene. And I think unfortunately, what we know is that we are going to see more and more severe weather incidents, which is why we as a state, I think we as an administration, have really prioritized that. We've got to do this work. We've got to do this work. And certainly, this region of the country, we need to do this work and do it together.”
It was the second stop on Healey’s tour after a jaunt through the Pioneer Valley with other elected officials.
“We're seeing damage like this here in North Adams, we saw it in Williamsburg, I'm seeing in Ashfield, and all over the region," said State Senator Paul Mark. "I haven't been up to Clarksburg yet, but I'm hearing they were they were in pretty tough shape, and even their town hall.”
Mark, the Democrat who represents much of Western Massachusetts, was preparing to visit communities hit by the weather along with Agricultural Commissioner Ashley Randle.
“I think we're facing a possibility that entire crops for an entire season are lost," he told WAMC. "And so, these are these are businesses, families that are going to need direct help, direct aid, and direct support. And so, we're going to do everything we can to make that happen.”
“We've seen a lot of farm damage as the governor spoke to, a lot of road damage. And in some communities, people had to be evacuated or rescued for their home from their homes. There were several homes in Williamsburg that had to actually, they had to go in with search and rescue and pull people out of their homes," Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Director Dawn Brantley told WAMC. “One of the things that's just so fantastic about Western Mass is that when a community needs help, you have multiple other communities just swooping in to try to provide that. And they support each other in a way that is really phenomenal here. North Adams in particular has their own very strong emergency management program. But as a region, they've built a regional structure that is truly one of the best in the state.”
Along with on-the-ground support, MEMA also held information sharing sessions with regions hit by heavy rain and flooding.
“We held a coordination call with all of the Western Mass communities where the Weather Service and the River Forecast Center briefed out on what to expect," said Brantley. "So, we're trying to help keep informed. And then as always, our messaging with communities is, you know, ask if you have resources that you need or personnel support.”
Brantley warned that the impact of flooding goes far beyond wet basements and washed-out roads.
“Once water inundates a building, you have a lot of cleanup and a lot of damage," said the director. "There's mold that grows, and folks without the appropriate insurance can really struggle with that financially.”
North Adams resident Emily Bryant watched the storm wreak havoc on the road below.
“It was pretty scary because I've never seen a sinkhole," she told WAMC. "I mean, I didn't think that we would get them around here. Usually that's something that happens more down south.”
Bryant was glad to see state leaders paying attention.
“I think that they are now showing up for it, and that's good," she said. "And I'm glad and I just hope they continue to show up, and I hope that something does get done. Because, obviously, this is a potentially dangerous situation. And it's happening right in front of my home.”
A mother of two, Bryant says the storm’s impact is immediate on her family.
“Well, the other day, I was really nervous about the sinkhole, and my daughter was very curious and so was my son," she told WAMC. "I had to keep both of them inside because my son, he likes to elope, he's autistic. So, he will just run off. So, I had to make him stay inside the other day, which sucked. But you know, I mean, we just found our ways to deal and I do hope that it does get fixed, because obviously I want my kids to be safe. That's [the] number one priority as always.”
