Massachusetts flood damage: Building compromised, paths washed out, debris left behind
The Spruce St flea market in Leominster has partially collapsed and the upper floors are buckling.
By Phil Tenser
Click here for updates on this story
LEOMINSTER, Massachusetts (WCVB) — Extreme flooding caused by a downpour that delivered at least 9 inches of rain in Leominster, Massachusetts, caused a large building to crack and crumble, and left behind signs of a river that overflowed its banks.
Mayor Dean Mazzarella streamed live on social media as he visited the damage on Tuesday morning after the overnight flooding.
He showed the damage at the Tilton & Cook Marketplace building, which straddles Monoosnoc Brook. Part of that building had collapsed, and another section was cracked up to the third floor.
On the other side of the building, NewsCenter 5’s David Bienick noted that water had forced a loading dock door open and scattered items from the flea market that operated inside.
Just prior to midday on Tuesday, police stopped a man who had a shopping cart loaded with items from the flea market. Witnesses said the man had scavenged the items from the mud downstream and police ordered him to bring the items back. He was not immediately charged with a crime.
Officials are trying to determine if the building is safe enough for people to go inside to salvage whatever they can from their businesses.
Mazzarella also visited a location where a large metal storage unit and a Dumpster were deposited in unusual locations after the flood waters receded.
“See this Dumpster right here? That wasn’t there,” Mazzarella said. “That came from somewhere, and we’re not sure where.”
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
