
Raging floodwaters tear up driveways of Leominster homes

A typically tranquil brook has caused serious damage in part of Leominster during a flash flood emergency in central Massachusetts.NewsCenter 5 captured video of floodwaters from Fall Brook rushing down a stretch of Lancaster Street, part of Route 117, like a raging river Monday night.Sometime during the overnight hours, the water tore up the driveway at 637 Lancaster St. into a pile of rubble and left a car stuck down a few feet below the roadway, which is now covered in mud.In addition, the floodwaters took out half of the driveway next door at 644 Lancaster St., including the portion that extends into a home garage. The vehicle that was inside of that garage is now stuck in a hole, wedged up against the side of the garage. Part of that garage’s foundation was also knocked loose by the flooding.Neighbors said the family whose garage collapsed watched in disbelief as it crumbled.”They said they just started seeing their driveway shrink and the car just went down, and that’s when they said: ‘OK, I guess we’ve got to go,'” said Leominster resident Loraine Sambito.The homes at 637 Lancaster St. and 644 Lancaster St. have been evacuated. It is unclear when the families who live at those houses will be able to return.Some of the roadway edges on Lancaster Street have crumbled as a result of the flooding. That stretch of Route 117 remained closed to traffic on Tuesday.Related content:
A typically tranquil brook has caused serious damage in part of Leominster during a flash flood emergency in central Massachusetts.
NewsCenter 5 captured video of floodwaters from Fall Brook rushing down a stretch of Lancaster Street, part of Route 117, like a raging river Monday night.
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Sometime during the overnight hours, the water tore up the driveway at 637 Lancaster St. into a pile of rubble and left a car stuck down a few feet below the roadway, which is now covered in mud.
In addition, the floodwaters took out half of the driveway next door at 644 Lancaster St., including the portion that extends into a home garage. The vehicle that was inside of that garage is now stuck in a hole, wedged up against the side of the garage. Part of that garage’s foundation was also knocked loose by the flooding.
Neighbors said the family whose garage collapsed watched in disbelief as it crumbled.
“They said they just started seeing their driveway shrink and the car just went down, and that’s when they said: ‘OK, I guess we’ve got to go,'” said Leominster resident Loraine Sambito.
The homes at 637 Lancaster St. and 644 Lancaster St. have been evacuated. It is unclear when the families who live at those houses will be able to return.
Some of the roadway edges on Lancaster Street have crumbled as a result of the flooding. That stretch of Route 117 remained closed to traffic on Tuesday.