Evacuation orders were eventually lifted as the water levels in the Westfield River decreased.
Jamey Tarczynski by the swollen Westfield River in downtown Huntington. He was evacuated briefly from his home because of a flood potential.
HUNTINGTON – The rapidly rising Westfield River forced the evacuation of the town center for a part of the day as rains from Hurricane Irene drenched the area.
“They came in with sirens and everything saying to evacuate,“ said Jamey Tarczynski. “The went up and down the street saying ’evacuate immediately,’“ he said.
The small town is one of many to experience flooding from the about five inches of rain that fell withthe tropical storm. Westfield, and the Franklin County towns of Shelburne, Becket and Buckland also had evacuation orders.
Tarczynski said he loaded his four dogs and drove to higher ground.
When the evacuation order was lifted later in the day, Tarczynski did what many Huntington residents did Sunday afternoon: he returned to the town center to watch the raging rapids of the swollen river from a sport on Main Street.
“We walk our dogs down there,“ he said pointing to a spot in the current that he said concealed a path that used to be located along what as recently as Saturday was the river’s edge.
Jerry McAvoy, who rents a second-floor apartment on Main Street, said when he heard the call to evacuate he figured he was sunk.
“My car is in the shop. I’ve got nowhere to go,“ he said.
Instead he went back to his apartment to stay. “I went up,“ he said.
He watched the river rise rapidly this morning, climbing more than 2 feet in an hour, he said.
He said it was similar to being at the beach and watching the tide roll in. The only difference was the amount of debris from upstream zipping past in the currents.
“I saw whole trees, 55-barrel drums, even a keg of beer,“ he said.
Pointing to a tree in the middle of the river, McAvoy said under the water is a picnic table where he goes in the morning to read his paper.
“I guess I won’t be reading my paper there tomorrow,“ he said.
Dale Hawley of Upper Russell Road said he had to evacuate his house after the water filled his yard and basement.
Holding his hand to his knee, Hawley said “I had this much water in my backyard. Twenty-eight inches“
He said when the cellar flooded, it destroyed 40 years of personal belongings that he had in storage. The water came close but it did not breach the first floor or cause any structural damage, he said.
“I figured I lose everything. I lost 20 percent. That’s acceptable.“