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Massachusetts dam threatens to flood town
I hope the DAM holds
Massachusetts dam threatens to flood town
Governor: 'All we can do is wait and keep our fingers crossed'
TAUNTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Authorities in Massachusetts evacuated thousands of residents as a wooden dam was failing, threatening to send up to 6 feet of water into the center of the southeastern town of Taunton.
A second dam up the Mill River also could be threatened if the structure, known as the Dam at Whittenton Mills, fails, Gov. Mitt Romney said.
Torrential rain last week and overnight have swollen the river and deteriorated the 12-foot Dam at Whittenton Mills, said Mayor Robert Nunes, threatening the town of 56,000, about 30 miles south of Boston. (Watch town residents brace for flooding as dam deteriorates -- 1:24)
About 100 homes are downstream from the dam, a spokesman for the state's emergency management agency told Reuters.
Lisa Campbell, who lives near the river, told The Associated Press that she and her children planned to stay at her sister's house on the other side of town.
"It's better to be safe than sorry," she told the AP. "You saw how many people had to be rescued from New Orleans when they didn't leave."
The mayor said that the dam "changed" at about 2 a.m. ET Tuesday.
"There is additional deterioration to the dam," Nunes said. "As I speak, the dam is deteriorating."
Nunes declared a state of emergency Monday evening.
About 2,000 people in low-lying areas and in the downtown area have been evacuated, including a housing development for the elderly, authorities said.
The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood warning for imminent dam failure until 10:30 a.m. ET Tuesday. An 8-foot flood wave was possible if the dam breaks, it said.
By midday Monday, the dam's railing was dipping, and some of its pilings were beginning to show signs of failure, officials said.
At a news conference Monday, Romney gave an ominous assessment, saying 6 feet of water could come "roaring" through downtown.
"The dam looks like it is going to imminently burst," said Romney, who is monitoring the situation with other emergency officials in Taunton. "At this stage, all we can do is wait and keep our fingers crossed."
If the Whittenton dam goes, then the second dam -- the Morey's Bridge Dam about a half-mile away -- might burst, sending as much as 12 feet of water through the area, Romney said.
"The dam upstream might go, and that could be even more dangerous to the community and to the property," he said.
The governor told AP that the dam was inspected two years ago and it was considered in fair condition.
CNN's Chad Myers contributed to this report.
Copyright 2005 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/10/18/massachusetts.dam
I hope the DAM holds

Massachusetts dam threatens to flood town
Governor: 'All we can do is wait and keep our fingers crossed'
TAUNTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Authorities in Massachusetts evacuated thousands of residents as a wooden dam was failing, threatening to send up to 6 feet of water into the center of the southeastern town of Taunton.
A second dam up the Mill River also could be threatened if the structure, known as the Dam at Whittenton Mills, fails, Gov. Mitt Romney said.
Torrential rain last week and overnight have swollen the river and deteriorated the 12-foot Dam at Whittenton Mills, said Mayor Robert Nunes, threatening the town of 56,000, about 30 miles south of Boston. (Watch town residents brace for flooding as dam deteriorates -- 1:24)
About 100 homes are downstream from the dam, a spokesman for the state's emergency management agency told Reuters.
Lisa Campbell, who lives near the river, told The Associated Press that she and her children planned to stay at her sister's house on the other side of town.
"It's better to be safe than sorry," she told the AP. "You saw how many people had to be rescued from New Orleans when they didn't leave."
The mayor said that the dam "changed" at about 2 a.m. ET Tuesday.
"There is additional deterioration to the dam," Nunes said. "As I speak, the dam is deteriorating."
Nunes declared a state of emergency Monday evening.
About 2,000 people in low-lying areas and in the downtown area have been evacuated, including a housing development for the elderly, authorities said.
The National Weather Service issued a flash-flood warning for imminent dam failure until 10:30 a.m. ET Tuesday. An 8-foot flood wave was possible if the dam breaks, it said.
By midday Monday, the dam's railing was dipping, and some of its pilings were beginning to show signs of failure, officials said.
At a news conference Monday, Romney gave an ominous assessment, saying 6 feet of water could come "roaring" through downtown.
"The dam looks like it is going to imminently burst," said Romney, who is monitoring the situation with other emergency officials in Taunton. "At this stage, all we can do is wait and keep our fingers crossed."
If the Whittenton dam goes, then the second dam -- the Morey's Bridge Dam about a half-mile away -- might burst, sending as much as 12 feet of water through the area, Romney said.
"The dam upstream might go, and that could be even more dangerous to the community and to the property," he said.
The governor told AP that the dam was inspected two years ago and it was considered in fair condition.
CNN's Chad Myers contributed to this report.
Copyright 2005 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/10/18/massachusetts.dam