Less than a week after the Liberty Farm Road bridge was closed due flooding caused by a water release from Island Pond Dam in Stoddard, nearly four inches of rain Sunday caused numerous additional problems in Antrim.
“Obviously, that dark cloud is still over Antrim,” Fire Chief Marshall Gale said. “I’m just hoping we can get out of this weather pattern. We just can’t seem to catch our breath. We can’t get caught up.”
Roads that hadn’t been affected by the July 10 rain, including as Gibson Mountain Road, Second New Hampshire Turnpike, Goodell Road, Buttercup Lane and Bridle Road, were damaged by Sunday’s storm and at least partially closed.
On West Street, flooding two feet over the bridge forced residents in one home to be evacuated and the power to be shut off.
“They had a partial collapse of the foundation in two areas,” Gale said.
According to Gale, all of the Highway Department crews have been out making repairs, and as of Monday, the remaining partial road closures were on Buttercup Lane, River Road and Old Hancock Road.
A Monday update from the town states that crews are starting repairs to roads where there are the greatest number of homes, and that the town has hired trucks to deliver gravel and stone.
The town also provided a list of safety tips, including not driving on the shoulder of a road, not removing any orange cones, not driving across a flooded road and not driving down a road that is closed.
Residents with emergencies are advised to call 911.
Liberty Farm Road bridge can be repaired
There is some good news regarding the Liberty Farm Road bridge.
According to Stoddard Emergency Management Director Daniel Eaton, a 50-foot wall of water built up at the Island Pond Dam July 10, and due to the high buildup, authorities had to conduct a controlled water release to prevent further damage to the dam. However, that strong, 50-foot high current traveled down into Liberty Farm Road and caused severe flooding all week, leaving Antrim residents to step in to help clean up the mess.
The bridge is closed to traffic indefinitely due to concerns about safety, but according to Gale, the state’s Bridge Maintenance Bureau’s initial assessment is that it can be repaired. However, work to fix the roads takes precedence, so Gale could not predict when work would begin. In the interim, Gale said drainage and ditches installed on Stacy Hill Road and Farmstead Road held up through the storm, so residents of the 18 homes on Liberty Farm, Stacy Hill and Farmstead can use detours on Stacy Hill and Old North Branch Road. Emergency vehicles will also be able to access those streets.
Josh Lacaillade contributed to this story.