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June 04. 2012 11:22PM

Close eye kept on Conway river flooding

CONWAY — The steady, soaking rains of the last few days have caused some flooding, but nothing like those brought by Tropical Storm Irene last summer.

During Irene, Deputy Fire Chief David Weathers said, the mountains received up to 11 inches of rain. He said that if the town got that much rain, “probably a good part of Conway Village would be underwater.”

Fire Chief Steve Solomon, the town's emergency management director, said Monday that Transvale Acres at Moat Brook suffered flooding. Mountain View Drive was washed out late Saturday night, and Pequawket Drive was flooded.

On Sunday morning, the river crested at 10.79, almost two feet above flood stage, but it wasn't enough to flood the River Road in North Conway or the West Side Road in Conway.

For the Saco, flooding is considered moderate until the river reaches the 14-foot mark on the gauge in Conway. On Monday as the sky lightened behind the rain clouds, the gauge height was at 7.39 feet.

That shouldn't lull residents and visitors to the White Mountains into a false sense of security, warned White Mountain National Forest Supervisor Tom Wagner Monday.

“We want our visitors to enjoy the forest's rivers and streams safely, but don't underestimate the power of water,” Wagner said. “Many are high-volume rivers with swift currents, deep holes, and a rocky bottom.

“The water levels can change daily, even hourly — especially with rain. What may be thought of as safe today, may not be as safe tomorrow, or what you may have been able to cross this morning is no longer crossable this afternoon,” Wagner said. “Be careful and use caution around water.”

Weathers, who is also a Conway selectman and worked locally for the UDSA Natural Resources Conservation Services for 36 years, said getting two storms back-to-back can up the ante. “It throws the equation right out the window,” he said.

A flood warning was issued by the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, for parts of Carroll County at 7:45 a.m. on Monday; it ended Monday night at 8.

What's next: Conway selectmen get an update on Transvale Acres at Tuesday's meeting.

Email SYoung-Knox@newstote.com

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