When the Connecticut River crested on Wednesday morning in Middletown, the river was at the highest level it’s been in almost 25 year.
The river crested at 15.5 feet, 7.5 feet above flood stage, putting Harbor Park under water. But the problems extend beyond Harbor Park.
At Palmer Field, you’d have to swim rather than slide to home plate. Once it drains, the time will come to assess the damage and make repairs before the football season starts.
Michael Rogalsky visited American Legion Post 75 to see how the building it fared. It was OK.
“I figured I’d come down and see how much damage we got inside the building. Luckily, it came up close, but no water inside,” he said. “It’s going to make it. No question, it’s soggy right now.”
In Middletown, residential areas aren’t in much jeopardy from the flooding, but anyone who goes out on the river is taking a big risk, emergency officials warn.
“The river’s current is running real fast right now. There’s a lot of debris, a lot of debris that you can’t see under the surface and it’s a very dangerous situation now, ” Deputy Chief Robert Kronenberger, of the Middletown Fire Department, said.
Across the river, boats at the Portland Riverside Marina were pulled out of the water, only to be surrounded by water in the flooding.
One woman told us she spent the night on her boat and she isn’t going anywhere.
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Next door, Dave Pelletier’s backyard is also under water.
“We get the flood every spring, but this is quite bad,” he said.
Not only did Irene flood his backyard, but a tree also crashed into his roof and chimney and he has had no power for three days.
“I bought the house because I have no neighbors, this is what you get,” he said. “Now I have swans and ducks. ”
By Saturday, the river will be down to 8 feet, according to the National Weather Service. That is flood stage.
This weekend tends to be a popular weekend for boating, but the river will remain a dangerous place with debris floating down from as far upstream as Vermont.
