MANCHESTER, Conn. — The town of Manchester was still drying out after tropical storm Henri battered the state last month and the rainfall from Ida overnight is continuing to cause a headache.
“I have not seen anything like this in 50 years,” resident Tony Falcetta told FOX61 News on Thursday morning.
Drone footage from Sky 61 shows Charter Oak Park’s ballfields and bleachers underwater after a nearby brook jumped its banks.
“Well it is a little different, mainly because it has turned into charter Oak Lake instead of Charter Oak Park,” park regular, John Pombrio, said.
Ida hit the Silk City, dumping nearly 5 inches of rain just days after Henri caused significant flooding and damage.
“Henri and Ida have not been nice to Manchester,” Mayor Jay Moran told FOX61 News. “Overall, I think we’ve done better than last week.”
He said the town’s public works department worked on the embankment near the park after Henri, but “still Mother Nature has beat us up.”
Moran said town employees will continue to assess the damage and stressed that residents’ safety was paramount.
“Watch it on TV, watch it on FOX61, right now the park is closed,” he said. “We don’t want people down here running through puddles. We don’t know what’s under the water, you never know what’s under the water.”
The mayor went on to say they hope Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) money will be available to help with the cleanup.
“When it comes to resources, I am hoping the federal government can help us out, but I think we will figure it out, we have a great public works staff,” he said.
Meanwhile, Falcetta is hoping it quickly recedes.
“My concern is how long is it going to be before the water recedes and kids in town can come down and play on it again,” he added.
Keith McGilvery is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at kmcgilvery@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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