< Back to front page Text size – +

Forecasters predict up to 5 inches of rain, warn of flash floods

E-mail|Link|Comments () July 1, 2009 07:47 PM

(John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)

A pedestrian walking in the rain past the Christian Science Center Plaza seen in the rainy reflection from a car window.

By Jack Nicas, Globe Correspondent

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for most of the state, warning that some areas could see cloudbursts dumping as much as five inches of rain in a brief period early Thursday.

Rain fell across the state for most of the day today, with six-tenths of an inch recorded in Boston and 1.5 inches in New Bedford, one of the hardest-hit towns.

The rain has subsided for now almost everywhere except for Cape Cod, the weather service said, but it should pick back up after midnight.

The second round of downpours could dump two to five additional inches on some areas in southeastern Massachusetts Thursday, the forecasters said.

Meteorologists expect tomorrow's state average to be between one-quarter inch and 1.5 inches of rain.

"Some areas may only get one-hundredth of an inch. Some other areas will get deluged. That’s just how it goes," meteorologist Walter Drag said.

In southeastern Massachusetts today, flooded streets, dime-sized hail, and several fires caused by lightning were reported. Two homes in Bristol were struck by lightning. At about 3:30 p.m. in Abington, lightning also caused two house fires within 12 minutes, said Fire Captain Ronald Howe.

Southern Rhode Island, parts of which saw 5.6 inches of rain today, is experiencing flooding problems, Drag said, though rain has stopped for now in the area.

"There's going to be a possible repeat episode tomorrow, an excess of short-term rainfall," Drag said. "If it's in southern Rhode Island, that'll be a problem."

If floods do occur, it'll depend on the speed of the storm.

Forecasters said that the faster the rain falls the more likely flash flooding is because the rain doesn't have time to run into storm drains or be absorbed by the ground.

"The faster it comes, the more likely the flash flooding is," meteologist Jeremiah Pyle said.
Urban areas are at a much greater risk of flooding Thursday, Drag said.