Hampton Beach

NH seacoast braces for threat of further flooding this weekend

Police in Hampton, New Hampshire, say residents will not be evacuated, but preparations are being made with a storm expected to bring heavy rain Saturday morning

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Still reeling from the wild weather a few days ago, coastal New Hampshire residents are preparing for another storm expected to bring heavy rain, wind and the potential for more flooding.

Hampton Police Chief Alex Reno says the town won't be evacuating residents, Hampton Academy will be ready to provide shelter. He believes the worst part of the storm will be in the morning, after high tide.

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Friday was a sunny day with mellow waters and people walking on the beach during the calm before the storm.

Another storm is threatening to flood coastal communities still dealing with the aftermath of the last one.

Glenn Cobb has lived in Hampton for 20 years and says the storms are getting worse and worse every year.

"The water pretty much was up to here," Cobb said about the storm from last Wednesday.
While he didn't get damage from the last storm, he's worried he won't be so lucky this time.

"We're getting everything that's electric off the ground. Like the refrigerator, we're putting it on blocks," Cobb said. "The cars, I'm going to bring them in town. We will put them in a parking lot."

One resident of Hanson, Massachusetts, explains that his main concern are the cars that drive through flooded waters.

"So they make the waves. If you just had a foot of water, but you end up making a wave, so now you have 18 inches of water hitting your cottage," Mark Walsh said.

Reno says police will be closing roads in and around Hampton Beach starting Saturday morning. The Hampton Department of Public Works was seen Friday placing orange barricades in preparation for those closure.

Neighborhoods in Hampton Beach were largely submerged after Tuesday's storm, and people are on edge with another one expected.

"A lot of what we're doing is trying to mitigate those issues, blocking those roadways down to stop cars from driving through," Reno said. "We'll have a number of vehicles. The Rockingham Sheriff's Department is loaning us one of their high-water vehicles. We will have two of those in operation. They're offering personnel, as well."

The chief says police will start blocking roadways around 10 a.m. and hope to reopen them by 3 p.m.

With more wind and rain on the way this weekend, flooding remains a major concern for Massachusetts residents living near the water.
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