As you may know, Northwestern New England has gotten a pretty large amount of rain this weekend. By some estimates we have already received around 10 inches of rain with more on the way. While other parts of the state (in particular the central part and the Merrimack River Valley) are experiencing more problems there is definitely flooding here.

I took some pictures when I went out earlier to buy some pants. Of particular interest is laminar flow over the Oyster River dam. Typically a more slow typical turbulant flow is seen. When I drove past Packer’s Falls there was a crowd checking out the falls. The river was definitely above flood stage, with water moving fast through trees at the river bank. Not far downstream it was still showing rapids, in the same area I skiied on last winter. When I left the river downstream of the falls was just beginning to creep onto the road.

Later, we went out to Portsmouth for dinner with Abby’s family and when we returned NHDOT was just blocking off NH 108 between Durham and Newmarket. We had to take the back route, which also had numerous flooded sections and washouts, some of which with pretty fast moving water. Fortunately we live on a hill. Although there is a lot of drainage going down the road and down the hill into the retention ponds right outside our porch. The ponds connect with a small waterfall which is typically completely dry in the summer season. Right now, the little cascade is so loud that I can hear it from inside the apartment with the windows closed. Exciting :)

UPDATE: Abby has posted some photos from today. As of now just about every road heading north from here is closed at some point due to the flooding or washouts. We’ll see if I can make it to Durham for work tomorrow morning!

UPDATE 2: More pics added from Tuesday. Things have now crested, and water levels are falling. The NH Army and Air National Guard are here to fill and place sandbags along the edges of the Macallen Dam in town. Hopefully at this point a dam breach has been avoided - earlier today it was a very real posibility. A river has appeared near the Citgo station on Gerry Ave. which is flowing across the road and through houses before eventually emptying into the lower Lamprey river below the dam.

Can you image what this would be like?

Detective: Well, we went over to the serial murder suspect’s house and he told us we couldn’t investigate him anymore. What do we do next?

Police Chief: I guess we’ll just have to drop the case. Oh well. The next time he brutally murders hundreds of people we can ask him again.

Oh, and it isn’t even just that. We also found out today that the NSA domestic spying has been even more extensive. But heaven forbid we investigate this! It is completely crazy that these government agencies are currently being operating under the assumption that they are above the law and not subject to any sort of checks and balances.