A storm that brought high winds and dumped 1 3/4-inch of rain on Andover in a three-hour span Friday morning led to flooding that caused street closures and power outages.
Latest Update, 1 p.m.
- The CVS on Main Street and other Downtown businesses closed from flooding. Call to verify a business is open before you head out.
- Electricity has been restored in most areas of Town. There were 80 customers without power as of 1 p.m., down from 207 at 11 a.m.
- The National Weather Service lifted an Essex County-wide flash flood warning at 12:45 p.m. There is no rain in the local forecast until Thursday.
It was the second heavy rainfall in eight days to disrupt life in Andover. Some of the heaviest flooding was at Washington Park at the Interstate 495 interchange, but the problems spread across Town. Route 133 near the IRS building, North Main Street, areas around the Doherty Middle School and other streets were closed at various points throughout the morning to allow DPW crews to clear water from the area.
The biggest problems, however, centered on Downtown, North Main Street and Shawsheen Village, where multiple businesses reported flooding that threatened to overtake electrical boxes. In one basement, firefighters found five feet of water, and at least one building was evacuated, according to scanner reports.
CVS on Main Street and other businesses were likely to remain closed Friday afternoon as they cleaned up from the storm.
More than 200 Andover electric customers were without power at various points in the morning. Power had been restored to most, with the remainder expected to have service by late Friday afternoon.
Service on the Haverhill commuter rail line was suspended north of Andover for 27 minutes because of flooding. Service between Andover and Haverhill resumed at 11:44 a.m. after the flooding receded, according to the MBTA.
There was some good news:
- The Shawsheen River never crested above flood level.
- The National Weather Service lifted an Essex County-wide flash flood warning at 12:45 p.m.
- There is no rain in the forecast until Thursday.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
File photo.