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Community Corner

Thunderstorms and Downpours Cause Some Flooding

Portland firemen and town officials assess problems.

A line of thunderstorms brought torrential rain to the Portland-East Hampton area late Friday afternoon. The National Weather Service had issued warnings for severe thunderstorms and flash flooding.

Worst hit was Portland.

There was apparent flash flooding in a number of locations that kept firemen in Portland busy checking basements, alarms and storm drains. 

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There was flooding in the basement of the Portland Senior Center on Waverly Avenue, where the town's food bank is located. Most of the food is on shelving but there was some concern expressed as officials emerged from the building.

One said there was 3 to 4 inches in the basement. Photographs show a silt line that almost reached the handles on the doors of the basement entrance. 

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The exact details of any damage at the Senior Center was not immediately available. 

Two buses used by the Senior Center were up to their bumpers in water, part of a small lake that had suddenly formed in part of the parking lot shared with the library and police station. The water did not reach either of those buildings. 

A van behind the police station was submerged nearly to its body.

Further down on Main Street at the intersection with Strongs Avenue, there was a wash out covering part of Main Street with water, stones and sand. Town responders had orange cones to warn motorists to slow down. 

There was a similar scene further east on Main near Bartlett Street.

In sections of town with hills behind houses, water gushed down lawns and driveways at a high rate of speed for an hour of more. The water caused cracks in the pavement on driveways and where they joined streets. The rushing water also carried stones and dirt onto the streets.

As much as 4 to 5 inches of rain was reported in the Middletown-Portland area.

Flooding was not as bad in East Hampton. The Old Home Days celebration went on as scheduled though not quite as planned. Among the events held was the Glorious Gallop 5K Road Race.   

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