PLYMOUTH, NH – Rainfall has been three times above the average as of this October.
The average level of perception for October in Plymouth is 3.1 inches and as of October 27th, 2005 the precipitation for the month is 9.45 inches.
This wet weather has been more devastating to the state then any weather event in recent memory.
According to Plymouth State University weather professor, Sam Miller, we can blame this hellacious weather on “The jet stream dipping to the south causing cooling in the north east,”causing us to be drenched for the past month.
“This is the worst damage they’ve seen from flooding in 25 years in New Hampshire,” said Governor John Lynch after returning from Europe to handle the flood situation.
New Hampshire’s many rivers and streams cause frequent flooding. This year in Plymouth, there have been numerous flood warnings but no serious flooding has occurred. Damage is minimal compared to other parts of the state.
The southwestern part of the state has been hit hard. Four people have died, others are missing or presumed drowned, and millions of dollars in damages has been racked up across the state especially in the Keene, Alstead, and Hinsdale areas by the flood waters.
On October 9th, extensive flood damage prompted Governor John Lynch to declare a state of emergency and activate the National Guard. President Bush issued a major disaster declaration for the affected areas, leading to the involvement of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). R. David Paulison, the acting head of FEMA, says that under the President’s declaration, federal aid will be available for Cheshire, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, and Sullivan counties.
Floods devastated hundreds of acres of farmland in Cheshire and Sullivan counties. Acworth, Alstead, Walpole, and Charlestown lost 150 to 200 acres are ruined. The financial impact was minimized to some extent as most crops are harvested prior to the middle of October.
Floodwaters swept away topsoil and deposited dirt and debris, making the clean up very difficult for farmers. Some farmland may be beyond repair. Some fields are still underwater and most of the fields that have been drained are inaccessible to the heavy equipment required to repair the damage.
“It’s something we’ve never seen to this degree up here, It’s Just amazing,” said Pam Marvin, the executive director of the federal farm Service Agency’s regional office.
The worst damage to homes and roads also occurred in Cheshire and Sullivan counties where 43 houses were destroyed, 40 sustained damaged and about 700 suffered minor damage. Several bridges were completely destroyed, leading to the closure of some roads.
The floods killed five people, while two remain missing. Two bodies found in a Langdon cornfield were identified as Spencer Petty and William Seale, both of Alstead.
Steven Day, 20, of Unity and Ashley Gate, 20, of Claremont were killed when their vehicle plunged off a washed out bridge and into the Little Sugar River in Unity.
The body of Sally Canfield of Alstead was found on the banks of the Cold River. Her husband, Timothy Canfield is missing and presumed dead.
Rescue workers were unable to save kayaker, Thomas Mangieri of Antrim. He is missing and presumed dead after disappearing in the swollen North Branch River.