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Date: 7/18/2023
NORTHAMPTON — Just days after flooding that devastated parts of the Connecticut and Mill rivers, Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra provided updates on how the city was recovering from the flooding and the damage.
At the time of the meeting, Sciarra explained that the Connecticut River was sitting about 10 feet higher than normal.
“At its crest, the Connecticut River was just below 117 feet, at 115 feet on Route 5 by Ely Road floods and the DPW coordinated with [the Massachusetts Department of Transportation] to close that road, which has since reopened as the river level has fallen. The river is currently at 112 feet and is expected to hold there relatively flat for an extended period. For context it’s normally at 103 to 104 feet,” Sciarra said.
When giving an overview of the damage, Sciarra said many of the city’s parks and fields were affected by the flooding.
“We have significant damage at Maines Field, this is the only city softball field with lights, it needs major repairs to the road, the softball field, the four sand volleyball courts and to the bathrooms. Florence Recreation Fields, there is damage to the soccer fields and the parking lot on Meadow Street. Musante Beach lost buoys and some ropes, and had lots of sediment and lost some of the sand on that beach,” Sciarra said.
She added that the city was also monitoring the Connecticut River Greenway as the river had not fully receded and did not know the extent of the damage. Despite significant flooding, Sciarra said none of the roads or bridges in the city suffered any significant damage.
Another issue caused by the flooding is the fact that all the city’s drinking water reservoirs are much fuller than normal.
“All three reservoirs are overfull at this point, we are monitoring them really closely since we have incoming rain over the next several days which may require us to take further actions at the levies and elsewhere around the city,” she said.
As a result of flooding with Mill River, Sciarra said several streets in Florence had to be closed, including the Pine Street Bridge. The city also had to stand up stop log vertical uprights on West Street, a requirement of the city’s flood plan. Sciarra explained that MassDOT closed the West Street Bridge, but it has since been reopened.
When discussing the damage to farms, Sciarra said they were “terribly affected.”
“As you’ve heard, we have some farms that are estimating they will have a total loss of their crops for this season and some for next as well. It’s incredibly as many crops were just on the verge of harvest so this has been really devastating for our farms,” she said.
Sciarra added that her office is working with Gov. Maura Healey’s office, state Sen. Jo Comerford’s (D-Northampton) and state Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa’s (D-Northampton) office to see what aid can be provided to the farmers and anyone else affected.
Despite significant damage to many farms in the area, Sciarra said many of the farmers were still optimistic about bouncing back.
“I have really been amazed by the resilience and the optimism displayed by the farmers. Despite this horrible loss and the challenges they face, they remain hopeful and that’s truly very inspiring. As a community we all need to come together and support them, and stand by their side as they rebuild,” she said.
Sciarra encouraged anyone seeking aid to stay in touch with her office.
Sciarra also said everyone in the city should avoid swimming in the rivers. Between dangerously high rivers as a result of the flooding and increased bacteria, she said it was dangerous to swim.
“Bacteria levels are typically elevated during and after any wet weather incident, but with this kind of flooding, that is a huge risk. I urge everyone to not swim in any of Northampton’s rivers in the wake of this flooding,” she said.
Sciarra added that Musante Beach was closed because of high levels of E. coli, in addition to the damage.
Sciarra and many of the councilors thanked the city’s employees and departments for their work during the flood.
“This has been an incredibly hard week for so many and I too really want to thank all of the city departments, many of whom were — and some still are — working around the clock to monitor situations and keep people safe and protect as much as possible especially in fire rescue, the police department, dispatch, parks and rec, health and human services and all divisions of the DPW,” Sciarra said. “DPW has truly been working around the clock since Monday.”
During the meeting the council also voted to approve an increase to the number of members on the Forbes Library Board of Trustees from five to seven. The council also approved an order to allow food trucks at the Taste of Northampton event, which is slated for Sept. 9.
The Northampton City Council next meets in August.