‘The worst I have seen it’: Flooding persists in Merrimack Valley after region hit by heavy rains

ANDOVER, Mass. — Everywhere you looked there was a short-lived new river or pond. Gushing water took out Waverly Road in North Andover. Heavy downpours in a short amount of time took out a lot of repair work folks had done after last week’s severe storm.

Cell phone video shows water rushing off Waverly Road, North Andover, and down the hill turning Steven Connolly’s yard into a river.

When asked what he thought when he saw all the water this time Steven Connolly, homeowner, laughed and said, “It was a river, it was 6 to 8 inches high it reached all the way to that wall.”

In Andover, Janice Haselton considered a new mode of transportation.

“I could get a boat out there,” she said.

The downpours quickly turned what was a small brook, that runs through several yards off Summer Street, into a pond.

“This is the worst I have seen it,” said Haselton.

Despite the heavy rains, Haselton said she was prepared, with the sump pump running. For her neighbors, this summer is a first for flooding.

Laura Zawalich looked at her backyard at all the water still sitting.

Water poured through the walls filling up her basement. The family already lost everything in there during last week’s rainstorm.

“It’s very financially stressful. I had precious things from when he was born in the basement that we had to throw out,” said Zawalich.

A series of pipes is supposed to keep the brook water moving. The Zawalich’s, like their neighbors, have called every town and state official they can think of.

“It seems like there is something wrong with the piping system,” said Zawalich.

This storm was worse too for Steven Connolly. All the rocks crews were using to repair the road ended up in his yard and next to his neighbor’s house. She lost her porch during the last storm. Steven thinks he may wait to clean up too.

“I don’t know if I am going to clean it up again because it could happen again,” said Connolly.

Connolly and the families in Andover paid out of pocket as insurance does not cover the damages.

The water in the Andover backyards receded early this afternoon. We called the town of Andover about the pipe system and have yet to hear back.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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