An overnight rain and windstorm and Saturday’s high tides led to flooding in low areas across Cape Ann, sewer overflows in Gloucester, and a fire at Rockport’s Motif No. 1.
In Gloucester, residents and officials dealt with flooding in low-lying areas of the seaport as high tide approached at 12:15 p.m. Saturday.
“Our storm team started via text late morning with reports of street flooding and road closures,” said Mayor Greg Verga in a text message around 2 p.m. “I just received a text from the assistant harbormaster that the tide is down 2 feet since we started texting earlier.”
The mayor said he was driving around some of the “hotspots,” including Route 133/Essex Avenue near the city’s Water Control Pollution Facility. He planned to head over to Rocky Neck and Rogers Street near the I-4, C-2 lot, which had also flooded for the second time in a week. Flooding on Saturday turned the lot into a lake.
“Not a lot of reports of power outages, and it seems like we are heading in the right direction now,” the mayor said.
City Council President Tony Gross visited the Dun Fudgin Boat Ramp behind the high school on Leslie O. Johnson Road. There, he saw Assistant Harbormaster Chris Lucido on the floats which the tide had raised above their pilings.
“It was worse than Wednesday,” Gross said of the flooding. “All the low-lying areas flooded,” he said. New flood barriers at Gloucester High School and at the wasterwater plant worked. He said after visiting Dun Fudgin, he drove through the high school parking lot “and it was bone dry.”
Gross said Rogers Street had been closed down at the West End. Portions of Commercial Street and the parking lot at St. Peter’s Square were also flooded out.
“It was something and now’s it’s bright sunny day now,’ Gross said. He said Saturday’s wind direction from the southeast created more wave action than Wednesday’s storm which also produced localized flooding. The high tide — at 10 feet, 6 inches — was a foot higher than it was on Wednesday. Gross said he even saw white caps on the wharf of the Gloucester House on Rogers Street.
Residents filled social media with photos of surf pounding Good Harbor Beach. The Good Morning Gloucester blog posted a video from Craig Kimberley of a loader cleaning up debris at the end of Stacy Boulevard and Western Avenue at the entrance to Pavilion Beach. Ward 1 Councilor Scott Memhard shared a post from Sal Zerilli of a kayaker floating around the parking lot on Commercial Street.
Memhard posted around 2 p.m. a list of streets closed due to flooding including Rogers Street, Commercial Street, Thatcher Road, Essex Avenue and Witham and Hartz streets.
The city’s alert system said a combined sewer overflow that started at in the area of 61R Parker St. at 11:25 a.m. is ongoing while a sanitary sewer overflow in the same location started at 12:05 p.m. and ended at 3:50 p.m. A combined sewer overflow in the area of 248 Main St. happened between 12:55 a.m. and 2:50 p.m. All three overflows could potentially affect the Inner Harbor.
These sewage overflows consist, or likely consist, of untreated or partially treated sewage and waste, according to the alert
The notifications are a result of a recent state law, An Act Promoting Awareness of Sewage in Public Water, designed to notify residents when untreated sewage flows in Massachusetts waters, according the city’s website.
U.S. Coast Guard Station Gloucester posted on Facebook “Solid day for BM1 (Boatswains Mate) Jozan to pass his Heavy Weather Coxswain checkride! Pictures never do justice, but we assure you, the seas were definitely 15 feet!”
Maritime Gloucester wrote on Facebook, “This current high tide has been much more damaging than the last, so the Science Center is closed for the rest of (Saturday) and we will be completely closed (Sunday). Our Fundraiser at Cape Ann Lanes is still on, and funds raised go directly to our programming and upkeep of our Historic property. We hope to see you there. Stay safe everyone!”
The fundraiser is from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14, at Cape Ann Lanes is a bowling tourney and includes raffles, food and more. Visit Maritime Gloucester for details and tickets.
In Rockport, the town sent out a Code Red alert at 12:30 p.m. notifying residents that “due to the tidal flooding, there are power issues in and around the Bearskin Neck area. Residents and businesses in this area may have a loss of power. Please avoid the area and avoid parking on T Wharf and Bradley Wharf for the next several hours.”
Rockport Fire Department on its Facebook page said an alarm was struck at 11:56 a.m. for flames showing at Motif No. 1 on Bradley Wharf. Responding firefighters found an exterior receptacle had shorted out and a small fire was extinguished by the crashing waves. The power inside the building was quickly turned off. Simultaneously, another group of firefighters investigated a burning smell inside the Bean & Leaf Cafe, 12 Bearskin Neck. The water was approximately 3 feet deep in the basement and all occupants were evacuated, the department said. National Grid arrived and disconnected power to Motif No. 1 the Bean & Leaf and a residence on Old Harbor Way. Forest Fire responded to multiple calls for pump-outs as well, the department said, and police handled traffic in the area.
High tide in Rockport Harbor was at 12:16 p.m., according to the Fire Department.
In Essex, flooding of the Essex River estuary caused the closure of the Causeway (Main Street and Route 133) at 11:50 a.m., according to the Essex Fire Department. It reopened at 3 p.m.
In Manchester-by-the-Sea, Masconomo Park was flooded, and Magnolia Avenue was closed as Manchester-by-the-Sea Fire Engine 1 and Squad 1 were on scene with a tree and wires down making the street impassable. National Grid responded.
“Just a friendly reminder consider ALL down wires as LIVE and DANGEROUS!” Manchester-by-the-Sea Fire said in a post.
The Police Department said water was reaching toward the station’s back door a half hour before high tide, and listed these road closures on its social media: Town Hall lot, Boardman Avenue by the sea wall, Singing Beach, Raymond Street, Ocean Street by White and Black Beaches.