Massachusetts

Mass. Cleans Up Debris After Storms, Flooding

After Wednesday's severe storms caused flash flooding, lightning strikes, and downed power lines, Massachusetts residents are cleaning up the damage.

Crews were out in Lexington early Thursday morning to pick up storm debris after the floodwater began to recede from the roads. Water backed up in the streets quickly on Wednesday, flooding residents' basements and backyards.

"I’ve been here 20 years," said homeowner Philip Lehoux. "Never seen rain this fast, flooding this bad ever."

Another Lexington man, Rob Deangelis, said, "When I went outside, there was three feet on the door."

Some neighbors cited malfunctioning storm drains as part of the flooding problem, but flash floods persisted around the region. In Cambridge, the water on Main Street rose higher than ankle-deep in a matter of minutes.

The rapid rise of water also caused major problems during rush hour. Some of the worst of the downpours occurred during peak commuting hours, leaving cars stranded on flooded roads throughout eastern Mass.

Footage from the Sky Ranger showed that parts of Quincy were completely underwater, as well as Arlington and Waltham.

Segments of I-95 north and south were also hit hard by rapid flooding.

Power outages were also reported throughout the state, with National Grid reporting about 360 customers without power as of 11:00 p.m. Wednesday and Eversource reporting 400 power lines still down on Thursday morning.

Trees were also toppled and lightning struck in multiple places - including causing a shed fire in Hingham.

Despite several storm-related incidents around the state, no major instances of damage were reported.

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