Allenstown’s Ken Rowe stands in front of his 1965 Mercury Comet, which was up to its roof in floodwaters during the peak of the storms. (The Hooksett Banner/Nicholas Brown)

By Nicholas Brown
Staff Writer

A full three days after the worst of the recent flooding, which propelled Gov. John Lynch to declare a state of emergency, some Allenstown residents were still using canoes to navigate their neighborhood.

Residents in the Riverside Park Drive and Jilleric Road area, a residential neighborhood on a Suncook River flood plain, were finally able to return home on Wednesday, May 17.

The damage encountered by many of the about 50 neighborhood residents, after three days of being nervously displaced, was unprecedented in the low-lying area.

“I’ve never seen anything close to as bad as this,” said George Tousignant, who’s lived just yards away from the Suncook River for 20 years.

Tousignant fared well compared to some of his neighbors, after he and his family packed valuables in a U-Haul truck before heading out to stay with friends in Pittsfield.

Yet, like many of his neighbors, Tousignant spent most of the day pumping muddy brown water – undoubtedly filled with a myriad of contaminants – out of his home.

Even after floodwaters had been receding for a day, the back yard of George Lockwood’s Riverside Park Drive home was imperceptible, submerged by several feet of water spilling over from the Suncook.

During the storm, the rushing water hurled a hot tub into his back porch, which was also dismantled by currents and debris.

A large metal storage trailer – which held valuables the Lockwood family stored away during last October’s flood – was thrust from the backyard to the Lockwood’s side yard, and turned over.

“We just got done doing all the repairs from the last floods,” said Lockwood. “Now I’m probably not going to have a back yard anymore.”

Even the timing of the storm was a sore spot.

“All this on Mother’s Day,” he said, pointing to a row of bouquets just beginning to wilt on his kitchen counter.

Yet, like many of the residents surveying damage and trying to salvage personal belongings, Lockwood was upbeat, and thankful for the help of local public safety officials.

“The fire department came through here a few times,” he said. “They were great – they fed my bird yesterday.”

George Stavrou, a public adjuster from Hooksett, was in the area inspecting properties for damage, and said many homes will need engineers to review structural integrity after so much water.

“It’s what you can’t see here now that’s going to be the worst part,” said Stavrou.
Stavrou also suggested residents should be wary of the water that still lingers.

The neighborhood reeked of sewage after septic systems backed up into residents’ yards, and colorful circles throughout the murky water suggested oil contamination.

Ken Rowe, who’s lived with his family in a home across the street from the Lockwoods for the past 25 years, said the deluge was so severe the family had little time to get valuables to higher ground before evacuation.

“The water came up much faster than I anticipated,” he said. “Hindsight and foresight are totally different.”

Rowe, who said he didn’t have flood insurance described his basement living area as “a pond.”
“Basically now it’s dry up, clean, and start throwing things out,” said Rowe.

Damage to property in the Riverside Park Drive neighborhood wasn’t limited to homes.

Well after the storms, a royal blue 1965 Mercury Comet, which Rowe bought new, was up to its underbelly in brown floodwater, and covered in dirt and debris.

A neighbor reported the car was up to its roof in water at the storm’s height.

“I put (the car) up when the kids were little,” said Rowe, “and I always planned to restore it when I retired.”

Rowe was also unable to get a working 1949 Ferguson trailer to higher ground before the floods overtook his yard.

“It will be working again,” said Rowe, in good spirits. “I’ve just got a lot of projects now. We’ll be busy for a while.”