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Old 08-08-2008, 10:38 AM   #26
RamJet
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Default Flash flood washes out portion of Weirs Beach tracks & boardwalk

Flash flood washes out portion of Weirs Beach tracks & boardwalk
BY RAY CARBONE
THE LACONIA DAILY SUN

LACONIA — In an event pubic officials said was unprecedented in modern times, a 120-foot portion of the sidewalk, metal fencing, boardwalk and ground beneath the railroad tracks along Lakeside Avenue in Weirs Beach was washed out during last evening’s strong thunderstorm.

Officials said that around 8 p.m., the rushing waters apparently rolled down Tower Hill in the area of the N.H. Veteran’s Association Campground, crossed Lakeside Avenue and slammed into the waterfront structures, tossing them aside like children’s toys. “There was a heck of a lot of water,” said Laconia Fire Department Lieutenant Mike Shastany.

“I’ve never seen anything like that,”he said observing the tangled mess of metal, cement, dirt, sand and wood. Police roped off the area, preventing an army of onlookers that filled the area shortly after the evening thunderstorm passed.

In addition to the main area of damage, firefighters reported two other sections of the nearby shorefront might have also been harmed, including a smaller section along Lakeside Avenue closer to Route 3, and an area not far away in Meredith.

Officials said despite the numerous problems caused by the storms — including a three-alarm fire started by lightning and serious flooding in some parts of town — there were no reports of serious injuries at about 10 p.m. Around that time, Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Paul Moynihan arrived on Lakeside Avenue to evaluate the situation. He entered the roped-off area and took a closer look at the washed out section.

One bright spot Moynihan noticed immediately was the water line that runs along the shoreline and is connected to the Lake Winnipesaukee River Basin Project did not appear to be leaking any sewage.

“I can see the pipe is exposed but I’m not smelling anything,” he said. “And my assistant (Luke Powell) was down here earlier when it was lighter and he said he didn’t notice any damage (to it). It may have a small leak but it doesn’t appear to have any major damage right now.”
All the same, a representative of the river basin project was trying to get to the site of the Weirs Beach washout last night, Moynihan reported. If there was reason to be glad about the sewer pipe issue, there were still plenty of reasons to be concerned about the damaged area.
An immediate concern to Moynihan was the extent of harm done to the railroad tracks. Early today representatives of the NH Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Hobo/ Winnipesaukee Railroad are expected to be on the scene to evaluate the situation, he said. “The DOT owns the tracks and the Hobo Railroad rents them for their usage,” he explained.

In the dark, Moynihan could not make much more sense of the tangled mass of wood, metal, dirt and concrete. He indicated he would ask Fire Chief Ken Erickson to move the public further back off the boardwalk from the impacted area since he was not aware of how strong the structure was in the wake of both the heavy storm waters and the washed out sections underneath.
One thing he did now was that it was “going to take a lot of work” to get the Weirs Beach landmark area back to what it once was.

Officials were expected to continue working and patrolling the area throughout the night and to be on the scene early this morning.
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