Greater Lynn pounded by storm as rain, records fall

LYNN – As noon approached Tuesday, cars and trucks began filling the parking spaces along Lynn Shore Drive, many of the motorists clad in foul-weather jackets and brandishing cameras.At 12:07 pm., high tide arrived amid the torrential rain, bringing with it an 11-foot sea change and powerful waves that pummeled the concrete walls. Television news crews and reporters from print media recorded the event, the third such storm surge in as many weeks.Asked what drew him to the water’s edge, Henry Kinnally of Revere said, “Maybe we’re nuts.”Skip Runge of Saugus said nature’s fury never ceases to amaze. “It’s just incredible, such might and power,” he said. “You can’t stop watching it.”Kathleen Hamilton of Lynn grew up in central New Hampshire so the sea continues to fascinate. “I knew it was going to be a high tide,” she said. “I think it’s so cool to see. I’m just glad it doesn’t happen like this every day.”No serious weather-related injuries had been reported, but state police said a female driver was rescued from her car after it began rapidly filling with water in a flooded area just off Interstate 95 southbound on the Danvers-Peabody line.Trooper Patrick Ahl waded into chest deep water to free the woman from the car as it was becoming submerged on the shoulder of the highway, state police said.The woman was taken to a hospital for treatment, and the trooper sustained minor injuries, police said.Homeowners and businesses along the North Shore worked at a furious pace to keep flood waters from seeping inside, but in many instances their efforts proved futile.The parking lot at Lynn Ladder on Boston Street was turned into a small lake.Flooded streets throughout the city kept some residents homebound, the water too deep for automobile traffic.The areas around Bennett Street, the West Lynn portion of Boston Street and Commercial Street under the Commuter Rail bridge were some of the hardest hit areas.By 11 a.m. Tuesday, the monthly total of rain for the Boston area had reached 13.31 inches, setting a record for the month of March and topping a mark set in 1953. It is now the second rainiest month since record keeping began in 1872.National Weather Service spotters reported 2.88 inches of rain in Marblehead and 2.65 inches in Swampscott, both before 10 a.m. Tuesday, while nearby Winthrop had 4.54 inches recorded at 4 p.m.More rain and flooding was forecast for Wednesday although with less intensity.The heavy rain will likely make this month Boston’s wettest March on record, according to AccuWeather. The current record for wettest month was made in August 1955 when 17.09 inches of rain fell.