PEABODY — Persistent rain since Saturday forced the closure of much of Peabody Square yesterday as city officials and business owners dealt with a second major flood in less than four years.
While downtown Peabody wasn't alone in the damage from the slow-moving nor'easter's rain, the Tanner City did appear to receive the brunt of the damage.
A mud slide on Route 1 in Topsfield closed the road. There were also reports of road closures in Salem, Boxford and Ipswich but no evacuations of residents as of last night.
"So what," said George Skalkos, the owner of McNamara's Liquor on Foster Street, of the approaching water line on the sidewalk in front of his store. "I cannot fight Mother Nature."
Skalkos' optimism remained intact even though he knew a day's worth of receipts would be going down the drain.
McNamara's remained open yesterday; but next door, Linda Petrillo was forced to shut down her Italian eatery, Petrillo's Restaurant, early.
The encroaching water made it look like Petrillo's could be a restaurant in Venice yesterday.
Closing her eatery early meant dishes of chicken cutlets, veal chops, veal parmigiana, and a seafood dish with lobster would end up in the garbage.
"I'm pretty disgusted and pretty sad," Petrillo said. "They assured us (the flooding problem in Peabody Square) was fixed. Apparently, it's not fixed."
The problem is not fixed, said Peabody Mayor Michael Bonfanti, but work is being done as soon as it is approved and funded.
"Every time we turn around we have to have a study for every step, which takes time," Bonfanti said. "And the state makes additions and we have to deal with the EPA and the DEP and the Corps of Engineers, and then another genius has to give their take on the problem ... Do I sound cynical?"
To add to the frustration, the mayor said, environmental groups, like Salem Sound Coastwatch, are worried proposed repairs will have a possible impact on the local smelt population.
"One of these days people have to realize, we have to help people first," the mayor said.
The storm is not expected to be as bad as the Mother's Day flood in 2006 that saw much of Peabody Square, along with numerous communities, under water.
The rain is expected to last until today, according to Arthur Francis, Salem State College climate professor.
Francis recorded four inches of rain last night with another inch expected by the time the storm moves out to sea.
The flooding wasn't as bad in neighboring areas, according to area police and fire departments.
A mud slide on Route 1 closed the road in Topsfield near the Danvers line. Local crews were calling the state to assist in shutting down the road.
In Salem, police had to close part of Canal Street, while Ipswich closed Boxford Road, which is near Route 1. In addition to Route 1, Topsfield saw numerous streets closed to car traffic and a tree was reported to have fallen on a car. No one was injured.
Road closures weren't the only problem. Firefighters responded to numerous homes for reports of flooded basements.
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