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October 10. 2012 12:00AM
Route 123 in Alstead during the 2005 floods that ravished the town.
Alstead to thank Lynch for flood help
Route 123 in Alstead during the 2005 floods that ravished the town.
ALSTEAD — Town officials have invited Gov. John Lynch to town today to mark the seventh anniversary of the floods that devastated the area but especially Alstead roads and bridges in 2005.
“I think we lost seven bridges in town. Essentially all bridges between East Alstead and the village center,” said Selectman Joel McCarty, who was a selectman and the town’s emergency management chief at the time of the floods.
McCarty said the invitation was also extended so the town could give a special thanks to the outgoing governor.
“He was key to our recovery and we’re going to miss him,” said McCarty. “He was the best governor we’re ever had as far as we know. We can’t overstate how important his role was in our recovery.”
McCarty said Lynch was able to unify agencies that had conflicting mandates, such as the state Department of Transportation, state Department of Environmental Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and by doing so streamlined the process so the town could get back on its feet sooner.
“The governor was absolutely instrumental in easing the permitting process for us. Otherwise we’d be still picking trees from the water, and cars,” McCarty said. “He’s really good at that and we’re going to miss him even if we’re not planning to have another disaster anytime soon. … We’re actually quite dismayed that he’s going to retire. If he was as good for the rest of the state as he was for us, he’s going to be a tough act to follow.”
Lynch’s office announced that he plans to arrive at Alstead Primary School at 12:30 p.m. and then at the Alstead Fire Station at 1 p.m.
The floods occurred on Oct. 9, 2005.
Just this summer the last bridge destroyed in the flood was reconstructed. Many quick fixes were made by DOT workers just after the floods because it was October and winter was just around the corner, McCarty said.
The infrastructure destroyed in the floods had been built to 1950s standards. When Hurricane Irene hit last summer, many people in town were nervous about the hurricane hitting town hard, but the newly built modern roads and bridges built after the 2005 floods held up extremely well, McCarty said.
“We sustained absolutely no damage at all because we now have an expanded capacity,” he said.
Meghan Pierce may be reached at mpierce@newstote.com.
“I think we lost seven bridges in town. Essentially all bridges between East Alstead and the village center,” said Selectman Joel McCarty, who was a selectman and the town’s emergency management chief at the time of the floods.
McCarty said the invitation was also extended so the town could give a special thanks to the outgoing governor.
“He was key to our recovery and we’re going to miss him,” said McCarty. “He was the best governor we’re ever had as far as we know. We can’t overstate how important his role was in our recovery.”
McCarty said Lynch was able to unify agencies that had conflicting mandates, such as the state Department of Transportation, state Department of Environmental Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and by doing so streamlined the process so the town could get back on its feet sooner.
“The governor was absolutely instrumental in easing the permitting process for us. Otherwise we’d be still picking trees from the water, and cars,” McCarty said. “He’s really good at that and we’re going to miss him even if we’re not planning to have another disaster anytime soon. … We’re actually quite dismayed that he’s going to retire. If he was as good for the rest of the state as he was for us, he’s going to be a tough act to follow.”
Lynch’s office announced that he plans to arrive at Alstead Primary School at 12:30 p.m. and then at the Alstead Fire Station at 1 p.m.
The floods occurred on Oct. 9, 2005.
Just this summer the last bridge destroyed in the flood was reconstructed. Many quick fixes were made by DOT workers just after the floods because it was October and winter was just around the corner, McCarty said.
The infrastructure destroyed in the floods had been built to 1950s standards. When Hurricane Irene hit last summer, many people in town were nervous about the hurricane hitting town hard, but the newly built modern roads and bridges built after the 2005 floods held up extremely well, McCarty said.
“We sustained absolutely no damage at all because we now have an expanded capacity,” he said.
- - - - - - - -
Meghan Pierce may be reached at mpierce@newstote.com.
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