Massachusetts city gets more than 9 inches of rain, flooding homes and jeopardizing a dam

By MICHAEL CASEY and KATHY McCORMACK
Associated Press

LEOMINSTER, Mass. (AP) — Heavy rainfall has flooded parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with two communities declaring a state of emergency as water poured into homes, creating moats around their foundations and leading to boat rescues of residents. Leominster, Massachusetts, Mayor Dean Mazzarella urged people not to venture outside as roads flooded Monday night, but some residents were evacuated as water came into their basements. All schools were closed Tuesday. Weather officials described the rainfall as a “200-year event.” Concern about a dam in the city led to evacuations. More storms were in the forecast for Wednesday and in early forecasts for the weekend. Coastal New England is expected to be affected by wind and flooding from Hurricane Lee.