The northeast endured 10 days of torrential rain this month, causing flooding in many cities, including Boston's ninth wettest October on record.
In Massachusetts alone, the flooding was estimated to have caused more than $6.5 million in damage, said Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
"The rain first began October 7 and did not end until the 16," said William Babcock, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Taunton, Mass.
The worst of the rain is over, yet flood warnings still remain in effect for states like Massachusetts and Connecticut. Officials are worried that dams in many northeastern states might burst as rivers continue to swell, according to Babcock.
"Right now, we have heard reports that a pair of dams down the road in Taunton are showing signs of being structurally compromised," Babcock said.
The Whittenton Pond Dam, built 173 years ago, consists of a series of logs that holds back the Mill River in Taunton. Now, the rotted wooden beams have the potential to destroy the small town. Officials believe if the dam collapsed, a wave of water six to eight feet high could sweep through the town, potentially destroying about 100 homes and Taunton's downtown commercial district.
The cause of the heavy rain was a large storm system that tapped into tropical moisture from the south, said Brian Lasorsa, an Accuweather meteorologist.
"The widespread flooding caused rainfall totals over 5 inches in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts, which are probably the hardest hit states," Brian said.
Ashley Wall, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs, went home over fall break but saw no damage to her hometown of Hanson, Mass.
"I went home over fall break and it was raining a lot, but I experienced no flooding," Wall said.
Matthew Bryant's home in New London, N.H., was not personally affected, but his friend experienced flooding.
"My friend was in a Home Depot in Claremont and the entire lot and store flooded with about three inches of water on the floor," said Bryant, a sophomore in SPA. "It was pouring and I know a lot of other towns were affected."
Mark Stern, coordinator for AU Ambassadors and a junior in the School of Communication, said that some prospective students from New Jersey and Delaware were unable to attend preview day last week due to the flooding.
"Traditionally, the October preview day is smaller, but some students were unable to attend because of flooding in their hometowns," Stern said.
According to Lasorsa, there is the potential for more heavy rain next week as Wilma passes by to the east.
"As added moisture in the atmosphere builds as a storm system from the Great Lakes comes in, there is the potential for decent heavy rain on Sunday and Monday," Babcock said. "As far as all this crazy weather we've been having, it's weather ... That's what makes it interesting"
