Floodgate Problem Leads To Flooding, Ice Damage At Revere Homes
REVERE (CBS) -- A floodgate problem over the weekend led to flooding and ice damage at homes on Arcadia Street at Oakland Island in Revere.
Maureen Sullivan is one of many residents in the area who are putting the pieces back together on Monday.
"Who's going to pay for all the damage that's done?" she asked.
Revere has spent about $2 million trying to fix a floodgate, which is supposed to prevent the tide from flowing over a gully and gushing into the neighborhood. But the floodgate was so cold this weekend that it froze open, turning yards into crunchy, salty ice rinks.
"How do we get our cars fixed now?" Sullivan wondered. "Is it going to happen again?"
Sullivan told WBZ her car was frozen in the ice.
"I didn't even open up the little shed (here) because I have a Harley Davidson in there and I'm hoping that's not frozen in it," she said.
Resident Sheri DeSimone says she has no running water and "everything was frozen." The saltwater filled a frozen pool under her home.
"All the pipes underground are frozen," she told WBZ-TV's Christina Hager.
Because of this, the running water in DeSimone's home has nowhere to drain and water is backing up through her floors.
"I couldn't get in my house," she added. "My car was stuck. It was submerged in saltwater."
City Councilor John Powers says it's not the first time that floodgate has had problems, but this was the most serious.
He plans to meet with city leaders this week to work on a permanent fix. For now, he says the gate will remain closed until spring.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports
