>> SOMERVILLE POLICE AND
FIREFIGHTERS LEAPT INTO
ACTION THIS PAST SATURDAY
WHEN FLASH FLOODS SUBMERGED
PARTS OF THE TOWN.
A TORRENT OF STORM WATER
LACED WITH PETROLEUM AND RAW
SEWAGE FORCED THE EVACUATION
OF THE CITY'S PUBLIC SAFETY
HEADQUARTERS.
AS THE FLOODWATERS CRESTED
OFFICIALS SAY 8 POLICE
MOTORCYCLES WERE SUBMERGED
AND 18 POLICE CRUISERS WERE
FLOATING AROUND LIKE BOATS
AT A MARINA.
THE FLOOD CAUSED MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS IN DAMAGE AND WITH
THE SECOND AT THE BUILDING
IN JUST 12 YEARS SINCE THE
FACILITY IS ONLY PARTIALLY
INSURED, CITY OFFICIALS ARE
NOW TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
BOTH THE COST TO TAXPAYERS
AND WHETHER THERE IS A SAFER
PLACE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY
WORKERS TO CALL HOME AND
JOINING ME HERE IN THE
STUDIO NOW IS THE MAYOR OF
SOMERVILLE, JOSEPH CURTATONE,
WELCOME.
>> WHERE WERE YOU WHEN ALL
OF THIS WAS COMING DOWN.
>> I ACTUALLY WAS IN-- I HAD
JUST ARRIVED AT MY HOME WHEN
THE TORRENTIAL RAIN FELL.
I LEFT MY HOME TO HEAD OVER
TO DO SOMMER RANDS AND I WAS
ON 28 AND I WAS CALLING IN
TO MY FIRE CHIEF, POLICE
CHIEF BECAUSE IT WAS JUST
FROM THE WRATH OF GOD.
>> Rooney: SO YOU KNEW, AND
28 WHERE THAT AWFUL THING
HAPPENED WITH THE WOMAN WHO
COULDN'T SWIM,.
>> I WAS IN THE IMMEDIATE
VICINITY THERE.
THERE WAS WATER COMING OUT
OF THE SURGE PINES FROM THE
93 OVERDECK, SURGING OFF.
THE CARS MOTORCYCLES WERE
FLIGHTING, CARS WERE
FLOATING ON 93.
IT WAS JUST A BAD SCENE.
IT WAS AN UNUSUAL INCIDENT.
>> Rooney: NOW THIS IS NOT
THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS
PARTICULAR FACILITY HAS
FLOODED LIKE THIS.
IT HAPPENED BACK IN 1998.
WERE THERE PROVISIONS MADE.
WAS THE BUILDING CHANGED.
DO YOU THINK IT WAS A ONCE
IN A LIFETIME OCCURRENCE.
>> THE STORM IN THE LATE 90s
DIDN'T HAPPEN AS QUICK, AS
RAPID.
THIS WAS A FEROCIOUS STORM
IT HAPPENED SO QUICK.
AND THE AREA IS PECULIAR
BECAUSE THE RIVER RUNS
UNDERNEATH THE SQUARE.
THEY HAVE A WATER TABLE
ISSUE.
WE HAD MADE INFRASTRUCTURE
IMPROVEMENTS IN SURROUNDING
AREAS BUT THERE IS A
CAPACITY ISSUE WHEN YOU HAVE
RAIN COMING THIS FAST, TWO
INCHES AN HOUR THAT IS A
CONCERN TO US.
BACK IN THE LAST STORM IN
'98 '99 STORM THAT KNOCKED
OUT THE PROVISIONS THIS ONE
WAS WORSE WITHOUT.
>> Rooney: I'M TRIING TO
PICTURE WHAT THE POLICE WERE
DOING.
THEY WERE ALMOST RUNNING TO
GET THEIR MOTORCYCLES AND
CARS A AND GOING, THEY
COULDN'T GET IN THEM.
WHAT DO THEY DO TO GO GET
OUT AND HELP PEOPLE.
>> THE PARKING LOT IS ON A
DECLINE AND THE WATER WAS
COMING LIKE A WATERFALL.
WE LITERALLY HAD TOW TRUCK
DRIVERS JUMPING INTO THE
WATER, HE PERSONING
THEMSELVES HOOKING UP CARS
PULLING THEM OUT IT WAS A
SCENE YOU COULDN'T DESCRIBE.
>> Rooney: WERE THE CARS
PERMANENTLY DAMAGED.
>> WE HAVE 18 CARS SUFFERED
WATER DAMAGE.
THERE ARE 17-- THE MOST WE
HAVE TO DEAL WITH MOTOR
ISSUES THAT ARE GONE.
SOME OF THE VEHICLES.
THE MOTORCYCLES HAVE ALL
BEEN SENT OUT TO DEALERSHIP
TO CHECK THE MOTORS, CLEAN
THEM UP.
THEY MAY BE SALVAGEABLE BUT
AS YOU MENTIONED IN THE
OPENING, THE INSURANCE FOR
THE BUILDING, THAT'S
PROBABLY NOT GOING TO COVER
THE VEHICLES.
>> Rooney: WHY NOT.
>> IT IS JUST A PROVISION.
WE'LL HAVE TO ARGUE ABOUT
WHAT CONTENTS ARE IN THE
BUILDING.
UNIFORMS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT
VERSUS VEHICLES.
WE'LL MAKE IT PART OF OUR
CLAIM BUT THE ENTIRE FLOOR
PLATE INCLUDING THE PARKING
LOT WAS FLOODED WITH FOUR
FEET OF WATER.
>> Rooney: WHAT ARE YOU
GOING TO DO TO YOU, BECAUSE
IN THE CITY OF BOSTON WE
HAVE HAD FOUR OF THESE, THEY
CALL THEM NATURAL BURSTS, WE
HAVE HAD ONE EVERY SUNDAY
FOR A COUPLE IN JUNE, A
COUPLE IN JULY THIS COULD
HAPPEN AGAIN IT SEEMS TO BE
A PATTERN THIS SUMMER.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO.
>> RIGHT NOW IN IN TERMS OF
STORAGE.
>> THE IMMEDIATE ISSUE OF
THE BUILDING IS GET IT BACK
ON-LINE.
FROM THE SYSTEM STANDPOINT T
IS DEAD.
THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS HAVE
TO BE BE CHANGED.
9/11 SYSTEM CHANGED.
WE HAVE LATE FALL, EARLY
WINTER, AS SOON AS THE
SYSTEMS ARE IN, WE GET
PEOPLE BACK T IS PROBABLY
ABOUT A WEEK AWAY.
ON THE LONG-TERM WE'RE GOING
TO BE MOVING OUT OF THAT
BUILDING AND BUILD A NEW
FACILITY IN THE CITY BUT
THAT IS PROBABLY ABOUT FIVE
YEARS OUT.
>> Rooney: WHAT HAPPENED
WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES IN
THE OTHER STREETS AND
NEIGHBORHOODS IN SOMERVILLE
DID.
OTHER RESIDENTIAL AREAS
SUFFER THE SAME.
>> SURE, WHEN SCHOOLS.
WE HAD THREE SCHOOL
BUILDINGS FLOODED INCLUDING
THE LINE RATHER BASEMENT.
SOME, THE RESIDENTS AND
NEIGHBORHOODS WHICH HAVEN'T
IN THE LAST 30, 40 YEARS
HAVEN'T AT ALL EXPERIENCED
FLOODING EXPERIENCED IT IN
STORM IT WAS UNPRECEDENTED.
WE'RE TRYING TO AES THE
CLAIMS FOR ALL OF THESE
LOSSES TO MAKE AN
APPLICATION TO FEMA.
>> Rooney: MAYBE YOU HAVE TO
DO THAT BECAUSE INSURANCE
COMPANIES ARE NOTORIOUSLY
UNSYMPATHETIC TO WATER
DAMAGE.
UNIVERSALLY THAT INCLUDES
HOMES AS WELL.
>> IT IS DIFFICULT.
>> Rooney: SO ARE YOU GOING
TO MOVE OUT OF THIS
PARTICULAR FA CIT BUT ARE
YOU GOING TO BE BUYING NEW
CARS RIGHT AWAY.
>> THE MOST OF OUR CARS WILL
BE OKAY BUT WE HAVE TO
REPLACE THE MOTORS ON THOSE
CARS SO WE ARE IN THE
PROCESS OF DOING THAT.
ASSESSING, WE WILL REPLACE
THOSE ENGINES.
KEEPING OUR FINGERS CROSSED
WITH THE MOTORCYCLES.
WE'LL HAVE TO SEEK FEDERAL
AID OR THE TAXPAYERS WILL
HAVE TO PAY FOR IT PEOPLE
SHOULD KNOW 911 WILL ANSWER
YOUR CALLS.
WE ARE UP AND RUNNING ON
BOTH THE BUILDING ITSELF
OPERATIONS STANDPOINT,
ASSISTANCE STANDPOINT.
>> Rooney: I AM REALLY
WONDERING WHY SOMERVILLE IN
THIS CASE BECAUSE EVERYTHING
I WAS READING OVER THE
WEEKEND, THE GROUND WAS SO
HARD FROM THE FACT THAT IT
HADN'T RAINED A DROP, 15
DAYS, NOTHING.
USUALLY LAST TIME WE GOT
RAIN EVERY COUPLE OF HOURS.
SO THIS YEAR IT HASN'T BEEN,
BUT YOU WONDER WHY THERE
THERE WAS JUST THIS MACRO
BURST DIRECTLY OVER SOMMER
VIRL BECAUSE CERTAINLY THERE
WAS A LOT OF THAT ACTIVITY T
HAPPENED IN BOSTON, IN THE
NORTH SHORE.
>> WHEN I TALKED TO THE
ACTING CHIEF OF POLICE I
CALLED HIM RIGHT DURING THE
STORM.
HE WAS IN WILMINGTON AND
THERE WAS SOME RAIN STARTING
BUT NOTHING CLOSE TO THIS.
IT IS STRANGE HOW THE
WEATHER WORKS.
I JUST AS THE RAIN STARTED T
IS GOOD TO GET SOME RAIN.
I WILL NEVER WISH FOR THAT
AGAIN.
>> .
>> Rooney: I WAS HEADING
SOUTH AND DIDN'T GET A DROP
AGAIN.
>> IT IS STRANGE.
POWER OF MOTHER NATURE, THE
POWER OF WATER.
WE ARE THANKFUL NOBODY WAS
INJURED.
>> Rooney: THAT IS AMAZING.
>> THE TUNNEL.
>> Rooney: THAT WAS REALLY
DRAMATIC, AND GREAT PICTURES
IN THE GLOBE.
ALL RIGHT, SOMERVILLE MAYOR,
IT WAS A PLEASURE TO YOU
HAVE.
WHEN WE CONTINUE, HOW DOES
SHE DO T THE SCULPTURE OF
CHAKAIA BOOKER.