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Operation October RainBlackstone River Flood
October 2005
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Operation October RainBlackstone River Flood 2005
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Operation October RainBlackstone River Flood 2005
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Operation October RainBlackstone River Flood 2005
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Blackstone River General Conditions at Woonsocket
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Blackstone River General Conditions

• Drainage Area 416 m2
• 2005 Annual Average Level 3.16 feet
• Lowest Level 0.53 of a foot (1)
• Level just prior flood 3.66 Ft3/sec. (2)
• Flow just prior flood 1,380 Ft3/sec. (2)

Blackstone Valley Weather Services Statistics
for Year 2005 at Woonsocket, RI (1) September
13th, 2005. (2) October 14th, 2005.
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Rainfall Aug Nov
http//www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/global_monit
oring/precipitation/sn72507_90.gif
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Accumulated Rainfall
Aug - Nov
http//www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/global_monit
oring/precipitation/sn72507_90.gif
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Blackstone River Flood 2005

• Rainfall (1)
• 1955
• October 15th 1.71 inches.
• Total October rainfall 12.50 inches.

• 2005
• October 15th 4.38 inches.
• October 1st -15th 12.27 inches.

(1) Providence Journal Monday October 17, 2005.
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Blackstone River Flood 2005
Pawtucket Times Tuesday, October 15, 2005
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Woonsocket, RI
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Blackstone River Height
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Blackstone River Discharge ft3/sec.
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Blackstone River Daily Discharge ft3/sec. Sept
04 Nov 05
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Blackstone River Gage Height
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Blackstone River During Flood (1)

• Highest Level recorded at Woonsocket 15.34 feet
• The Blackstone increased 3x normal in 24 hours
• Strongest Flow 16,400 on Ft3/sec.
• The Blackstones flow increased 6x normal in 24
  hours

(1) Blackstone Valley Weather Services As of
October 16th, 2005.
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Blackstone River Flood 2005
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Central Falls, RI
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Blackstone River Flood 2005
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Blackstone River Flood 2005
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Lincoln, RI
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Pawtucket, RI
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Blackstone River Flood 2005
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Ryco Lace Lincoln,
RI
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Blackstone River Flood 2005
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Governor Carcieri
Surveys Damage
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Hope Global
Cumberland, RI
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Big Fitness -
Pawtucket, RI
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Blackstone River Flood 2005
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Lincoln, RI
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Woonsocket, RI
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Blackstone River
State Park, RI
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Cumberland, RI
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Burrillville, RI
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Cumberland, RI
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Central Falls, RI
P. McAlpine, BVTC
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Central Falls, RI
P. McAlpine, BVTC
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Slater Mill
Pawtucket, RI
P. McAlpine, BVTC
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Slater Mill
Pawtucket, RI
The Vast City Photography
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Blackstone River Flood 2005

• National Weather Service Headquarters (1)
• Parts of Rhode Island were particularly hard hit
  with numerous roads washed out, small rivers
  flooding, and several small dams closely
  monitored in Washington County as heavy rains
  caused them to exceed their capacity. The
  Woonasquatucket River had record flooding.

(1) 1005am EDT October 17, 2005
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Preliminary
Assessment of Rhode Island Damage
The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and the
Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce are
working together to determine damages caused by
the October floods. Community Damage Assessment
Form Available 2005 Operation October Rain Flood
Assessment Form (click here)
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Preliminary
Assessment of Rhode Island Damage
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Preliminary
Assessment of Rhode Island Damage
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Preliminary
Assessment of Rhode Island Damage
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Preliminary
Assessment of Rhode Island Damage (1)

• Central Falls
• Docks at City Landing 250,000
• BVTC Explorer Canal Boat Samuel Slater damaged.
  
• Total loss 20,000 (business 5,500
  hauling 7,600 general damages)
• Cumberland
• Martin Street Bridge equipment damaged
• Hope Global braiding machines and knitting
  machines under water. Estimated loss 5,000,000
• Riverfront Lofts Apt complex 200 people
  evacuated to hotels
• 25 businesses 12 residential homes evacuated
  500 people
• Cumberland Animal Shelter evacuated equipment
  animals

(1) Information collected by BVTC and NRCC.
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Preliminary
Assessment of Rhode Island Damage (1)

• Cumberland (cont.)
• 244 assistance requests from residents
• Roads damaged Martin St, Franklin St, Wildwood
  St Westward Dr.
• One Mendon Rd Housing for the Elderly was
  evacuated
• Cumberland High School leaks and flooding
• Garvin School flooding
• Residential Loss (only 2 cases reported).
  Estimated total damage 60,000
• Northern RI Therapeutic Massage ceiling fell

(1) Information collected by BVTC and NRCC.
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Preliminary
Assessment of Rhode Island Damage (1)

• Lincoln
• Residential flooding. Several damages and
  losses. Estimated damage 15,000 20,000.
• Ryco Trimming Co loss of equipment, inventory,
  and buildings. Estimated damage 400,000.
• Lance Industries damage to building 500,000.
• Lincoln Place Assisted Living flooding.
• Visiting Nurse Service of Greater RI damage to
  vehicles, extra gas, etc. Estimated damages
  50,000.
• Crest Manufacturing Co Damage to the site and
  inventory.
• Kelly House, Quinnville significant flooding.
• Ashton Dam State and RIDEM owned properties on
  both sides of the dam.

(1) Information collected by BVTC and NRCC.
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Preliminary
Assessment of Rhode Island Damage (1)

• Lincoln (cont.)
• Bikepath South of Kelly House at the Meadow
  Obstruction in the canal due to overflow flood
  in the bike path to flow over into the River
  washed out the riverside of the bike path.
• Bikepath Albion Erosion of the base of the
  bike path near the Dam river access and pavement
  collision.
• Wash out of roadway, erosion at the side of
  roads, failure of sewer pump station, detention
  basin flooding, failure of fire signal transfer
  panel in one school, water main closure.
• Shelter established 200 people for 1 day.
• Fire departments pumped out close to 100 cellars.
• Police and Fire departments provided assistance.
• Losses included partial federal funding.

(1) Information collected by BVTC and NRCC.
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Preliminary
Assessment of Rhode Island Damage (1)

• North Smithfield
• Residential significant flooding and damages.
• Police and Albion Fire Department assisted.
• Partial Federal funding. Damage at least
  10,000.
• Hyman Brickle Son significant flooding.
  Estimated inventory loss of 500,000 700,000.
  Textile manufacturing shut down for 3 shifts. 25
  employees affected for 24 hours. Direct Damage
  loss 50,000
• Roads flooded, closed, and damaged. Washed out
  4,000 yards of gravel.
• Estimated Town physical damage 37,482.60.

(1) Information collected by BVTC and NRCC.
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Preliminary
Assessment of Rhode Island Damage (1)

• Pawtucket
• Major flooding of 16 businesses.
• Docks at Town Landing 100 destroyed. Loss
  250,000.
• American Heritage River Building landings 100
  destroyed. Estimated loss 200,000.
• Big Fitness product damages 650,000.
• Riverfront Lofts flooding. Estimated public
  damage 25,000. Estimated private damage
  75,000.
• TC Woodworking Inc building flooded. Motors and
  electronic components where submerged. Products,
  production loss and general damages. Penalized
  with late delivery fees 2,500,000 equipment
  damages.
• Fatima St. Joseph Hospitals serious water
  damage.
• Slater Mill Fishing Club Dock general damages
  20,000.

(1) Information collected by BVTC and NRCC.
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Preliminary
Assessment of Rhode Island Damage (1)

• Smithfield
• Town property minimal damages. Overtime cost
  1,200 excluding fringe benefits.
• Residents several water damages. Costs are TBD.
• Audubon Society of RI Lost of a bridge at Parker
  Woodlands wildlife refuge. Need to be replaced
  6,000. Damage to Fort Wildlife Refuge 1,000.
• Woonsocket
• Landing 25 loss of temporary docks 5,000
  (BVTC).
• Wyndemere Woods assisted living facility 23
  inches of water. Evacuated people to a hotel.
  Apartments ruined carpet, food, supplies and
  personal items.
• Evacuation of Narragansett Knitting Condominium.

(1) Information collected by BVTC and NRCC.
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Blackstone River Flood 2005Preliminary
Assessment of Rhode Island Damage (1)

• Woonsocket (cont.)
• Hyman Brickle Son Inventory loss of 700,000.
  Assisted by N. Smithfield Fire Department.
  Textile manufacturing shut down for 3 shifts. 25
  employees affected for 24 hours. Direct Damage
  loss 50,000. Commercial/industrial
  property/casualty insurance coverage but will not
  cover any loss. Federal flood insurance will not
  cover loss either due to being classified below
  grade.
• Staples business closed. Entrances to the store
  flooded. General damages and loss of business
  5,000.

(1) Information collected by BVTC and NRCC.
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Blackstone River Flood 2005
Tuesday, October 18, 2005

• Over the weekend in Woonsocket, some streets
  became rivers the river became rapids and more
  and more water found its way into the sewer
  system. On many flooded streets, manhole covers
  blew off. "The river was flowing right into the
  sewer lines," Michael Annarummo, City of
  Woonsocket, said.
• The Woonsocket treatment plant is designed to
  process about 16 million gallons a day, from
  about 50,000 households in northern Rhode Island
  and parts of Massachusetts, according to the DEM.
  But with the storm, some 40 million gallons
  flowed through.
• The Upper-Blackstone sewage treatment facility in
  Millbury released 120 million gallons of
  untreated sewage into the Blackstone River.

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Blackstone River Flood 2005
Thursday, October 20, 2005

• The entire Narragansett Bay was closed to shell
  fishing. This has never happened before.
• Several drinking wells were contaminated for two
  weeks in Blackstone Valley.
• Most areas were closed because of pollution
  caused by sewage pipe overflow and storm runoff.
• Rhode Island DEM reopened beds in Narragansett
  Bay between North Kingstown and Jamestown, as
  well as parts of the Sakonnet River and Ninigret
  and Potter ponds.
• DEM's Robert Ballou said the newly opened open
  area represents only about 10 percent of the
  bay's active shellfisheries.

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Blackstone River Flood 2005 (1)
NBC10 - October 20, 2005
(1) NBC 10 Thursday, October 20, 2005
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Blackstone River Flood 2005
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Blackstone River Flood 2005
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Blackstone River Flood 2005

• Massachusetts counties to get FEMA flood aid (1)
• Presidential declaration of a major disaster for
  the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  (FEMA-1614-DR) (2)

• Federal disaster aid has been granted for
  individuals and businesses in MA Counties that
  suffered heavy damage from severe storms and
  flooding from October 7-16, 2005, Gov. Mitt
  Romney announced (1) (2)
• Individual Assistance Berkshire, Bristol,
  Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk,
  Plymouth, and Worcester Counties (2)
• Public Assistance Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden,
  Hampshire, and Worcester Counties (2)
• Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Assistance
  Berkshire, Bristol, Essex, Franklin, Hampden,
  Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk,
  and Worcester Counties (2)

(1) Telegram Gazette Friday, November 11, 2005
(2) FEMA November 10, 2005, amended on November
17, 2005
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Blackstone River Flood 2005

• Rhode Island is not yet to get FEMA flood aid

Major Disaster Declarations (1) 1615 11/15
Kansas Severe Storms and Flooding 1614 11/10
Massachusetts Severe Storms and Flooding 1613
11/10 Puerto Rico Severe Storms, Flooding,
Landslides, and Mudslides 1612 11/08 Indiana
Tornado and Severe Storms 1611 11/09 Northern
Mariana Islands Typhoon Nabi 1610 10/26 New
Hampshire Severe Storms and Flooding 1609 10/24
Florida Hurricane Wilma Emergency Declarations
(2) 3264 10/19 Massachusetts Severe Storms and
Flooding 3263 09/30 Delaware Hurricane Katrina
Evacuation
(1) www.fema.gov/news/disasters.fema?year2005
(2) www.fema.gov/news/disasters.fema?year2005em
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Blackstone River Flood 2005

• Rhode Island requests disaster declaration (1)
• November 22, 2005

• Governor Carcieri's request for a disaster
  declaration for three Rhode Island Counties as a
  result of heavy rain fall occurring October
  17-15, 2005.
• State and local governments will assume all
  applicable non-Federal-share of costs required
  by the Stafford Act.
• Expected total expenditures over 38,000,000.

• (1) Novermber 30th, Office of Legislative
  Affairs, Federal Emergency Management Agency
  (FEMA)

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Blackstone River Flood 2005
Prepared Robert D. Billington, Ed.D.,
BVTC Veronica Cadoppi, BVTC Photography Patric
ia McAlpine, BVTC Berry Doherty, The Vast City
Photography Music Have you seen the
Blackstone, Charlie Ball, Plain Folk