‘I have never seen it like this’: Local residents concerned with flooding damage to roads, homes

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - As the strong waters continue to flow, we caught up with local residents who share how the rain and flooding has impacted them. This as legislators across the state continue to call for action.

Rain and flooding made an interesting week for many in western Massachusetts.

“There was an incident in Route 5 and the tunnel flooded and the police officers had to come and back us out into the wrong way just to get the traffic out it was like 45-minute traffic if not more,” said Halina Kot of West Springfield.

On top of that, the basement in Halina’s home flooded.

“It was not like super horrible, but you know it’s never a good thing,” added Kot.

Western Mass News checked out the water conditions across our area Sunday afternoon. This is what the Westfield River looked like from Bridge Street in Agawam.

In Holyoke, our crews captured water so high in the Holyoke dam that you couldn’t see the ground these trees are planted on.

We spoke Carrie Lemelin, who was checking out the water with her family.

“We have been in the area for a very long time I mean we came down today just to see how bad it really is,” said Lemelin. “Watching the river go up and up and up I have never seen it like this in a very long time.”

In Montague, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation reports the bridge that carries South Street over the Sawmill River closed Sunday due to flooding.

Over in Orange, the Tully Road bridge which crosses the Tully River closed along with a section of Butterworth Road.

Police said the MassDOT will be inspecting the bridge for damage in the coming days.

In the meantime, politicians are calling for action as these floodwaters continue to impact local farmers.

Senator Jo Comerford took to Twitter to say in part:

“...We need relief for region’s farmers. Current estimates (still rising) are 75 farms affected, 2 thousand acres+ affected, millions of $ lost.”

Comerford along with Governor Healey and Lieutenant Kim Driscoll will be making the way to western Massachusetts on Monday to check out flood damage in Deerfield.

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