Residents evacuated after dam break during storm

One building at the Waterfall Hills residential complex off Bolivar Street was evacuated on Monday after a dam burst within the complex. The management agency of Waterfall Hills was able to relocate the 25 residents at vacant units and hotels. Bolivar Street was closed for much of Monday and reopened Tuesday morning, but residents at Waterfall Hills had to park their cars at Devoll Field since the entranceway from Bolivar Street was flooded.  

Cars traverse Bolivar Street where water from the pond floods the roadway on Monday morning. Tanya Willow photo

According to Police Lt. Patty Sherrill, the flooding water lifted up a car and moved it into the middle of the road in the complex. Doody said the dam broke around the tennis courts in the complex, severely limiting access by vehicles.

Several streets in Canton were closed on Monday, but other than at the Waterfall Hills complex, nearly all of Canton’s major dams held during the nine inches of rain received from Friday, March 12, to Monday night, March 15.

According to Fire Chief Charlie Doody, the Fire Department received 96 calls during the storm — 85 percent involved flooding in residential basements and other water-related issues. Lt. Tom Driscoll said if the water in the basements impacted the utilities, all utilities were shut off.

The town’s Emergency Management Agency was activated, which included emergency meetings of the Police, Fire, DPW leaders, Town Administrator Bill Friel and selectmen. The agency worked with state dam officials to assess the town’s dams and roads.

Other roads impacted by the storm included Dedham Street near University Avenue, which was still closed as of Tuesday morning; the Pond Street Waterfall area on Washington Street near Shaw’s; and Elm and Green Lodge streets, which reopened on Tuesday.

Dedham Street near the vacant Cumberland Farms building was closed and traffic was rerouted, causing near gridlock conditions in Canton Tuesday morning.

Dam engineers and DPW workers were able to resurrect a temporary dam using sandbags and Jersey barriers to divert water from the Pond Street Waterfall. That section of road along Washington Street was closed late Monday afternoon and evening until the barriers and sandbags were installed.

Doody reported the major Reservoir Dam on Pleasant Street had no problems, since the dam was drained during the summer because of needed dam repairs — the subject of negotiations between the town, state dam engineers, and Napleton, the owner of the dam.

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=1778

Posted by Mike Berger on Mar 18 2010. Filed under News. Both comments and pings are currently closed.