Massachusetts

Flood Waters Cripple Vehicles, Create Traffic Nightmare Across North Shore in Mass.

A foot of moving water can pick up a moving car and float it, so Saturday's flash floods caused some very dangerous road conditions in Lynn, Massachusetts. 

Rain water on Commercial Street in Lynn looked almost like a river.

"Sorry people, if you're expecting the mail it's gonna be a little late today," said Kervin Lambert.

Early morning flash flooding crippled drivers from getting to their jobs. Lambert was on his way to his post office job, but his Subaru was no match for the bumper-high water.

"I tried to pull into the gas station and somebody else pulled in front of me, so I stopped. And by the time I stopped the car, power just gave in."

The storm sat over Lynn for hours, creating a traffic nightmare. Forklifts were used to rescue people from flooded cars. Some tried to drive through waters while others turned gas stations into parking lots, hoping the the flooding would recede.

"I had to pull over," resident Winston Francis-Lynn said. "My car is back there in the Dollar Zone. I just walked over to the corner to see if I could take this left so I can go home - apparently not."

Kim Abisso-Driving was driving to work when the flash floods hit.

"I mean, I've seen hurricanes. Lived by the ocean most of my life, and seeing this right here on the street is incredible."

Water was seeping into store fronts and local businesses. Robert Mellace, owner of Pet Express in Lynn, stayed open throughout the floods.

"Water just kept coming in and coming in and we were just pushing it out as it was happening," said Mellace. At one point Saturday The floor of Pet Express was under 8 inches of water.

As tow trucks put in overtime, people realized the flooded streets of Lynn aren't as bad as what other parts of the world are facing.

"We got a little taste of what Texas is dealing with. That's nothing compared to them. They lost houses. We just lost vehicles," Lambert said.

As far as totals, the storm brought close to four inches of rain water, which led to streets almost being impassable in Lynn.

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