Some coastal residents brace for third flooding storm this year

SALEM, Mass. – Residents all along the coast have been dealing with flood damage since last week’s nor’easter, but some families in Salem have been having problems since the storm on January 4.

“We had 5 feet of water in the basement, we had to replace hot water heaters, furnaces, everything, and personal things we had stored down there,” Nathan Barrett said.

Barrett and others live in the Salem Willows area, where many homes have already flooded twice this year.

“It’s really been a scare, it’s the second time in a couple of months that we’ve ever seen this,” Tara Nally said.

Raymond Jerzylo’s home was destroyed during the January storm. Mom, dad, two teenaged children and their dogs were forced out of the home.

“Since then, we have been dealing with FEMA, for those of you out there in the south shore, good luck you are going to want to get yourself a notebook, a pen, write down every correspondence you have,” Jerzylo said.

The family still doesn’t have a place to call home as they fight with the insurance companies.

“You are dealing with headache, after headache, there seems to be no help out there,” he said.

Some residents are concerned that the multiple storms will cause problems for the sea wall that prevented things from being much worse.

“What I’m really nervous about this time, is that seawall is ready to crumble into rubble,” Barrett said.

For now, those who remain are relying on each other and preparing for the worst.

“Hopefully no flooding, for all of us. It has affected the neighborhood,” Nally said.

TOP STORIES:

Cox Media Group