Flooding, sea debris close roads, but local officials relieved

The region may have escaped snow, but waves crashing over the seawall at King?s Beach on Thursday morning showed water?s wintry power and potential to cause problems.Humphrey Street from Red Rock Bistro to the Lynn line and Puritan Road in Swampscott from the Humphrey Street intersection to Beverly Road were closed around 10:30 a.m. when high tide brought coastal flooding and rocks and other debris into the street.The streets were closed until 2 p.m. so crews could clear the streets of the debris. The closures caused heavy traffic on Burrill Street.View a photo gallerySwampscott Department of Public Works Director Gino Cresta said the waves were so strong they ripped the covers off of the manholes on town streets.In Nahant, police dispatcher Roz Pulio reported Willow Road, Nahant Road and Castle Road were all closed for about an hour during the morning?s high tide.Cresta said that besides the tide floods, there were no other street blockages or serious floods in town.?I thought we would have it good with the snow people have been getting,” he said. “Other than the tide, we made out real good.”Swampscott Selectman Glenn Kessler he was pleasantly surprised he hadn?t heard of any flooding in residents? homes, especially in the Paradise Road area.In Lynn, a water and sewer commission worker reported there had been “quite a bit of flooding” all over the city, mostly because of brooks that overflowed Wednesday night into Thursday.He said there would be crews out on Thursday night keeping an eye on the brooks in the Ward 1 area and keeping watch on Flax and Sluice ponds.Manny Alcantara, the city?s DPW acting director, said he hadn?t received any calls or complaints about residential flooding.Kait Taylor can be reached at [email protected].