By Renee Worthing 

Register Reporter 

With sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-60s, it may be hard to imagine that one year ago, the Patriots’ Day storm caused nearly $1 million worth of damage to public roads and bridges in Sanford and Springvale.

Last year, relentless rain transformed Witham Street in Springvale into a lake and Main Street in front of Sherwin Williams into a virtual river. Floodwaters poured into the basements of Edmonton Street homes.

Sanford police officers and firefighters worked overtime barricading streets, stringing up yellow caution tape and monitoring the rising Mousam River and creeks.

Central Maine Power officials reported 19,238 customers in the Alfred service area were without power by 11:30 a.m. April 16. The number grew to 29,303 by 4:30 p.m. that day.

Sump pumps were in short supply and the Sanford Fire Department loaned out the few it had.

In south Sanford, businesses on Gatehouse Road behind the Sanford Regional Airport were evacuated as storm water pooled deep enough to submerge an SUV up to its hood. A Sanford police cruiser was stranded at Jagger Mill Road and Airport Road.

Two sections of Sam Allen Road in south Sanford washed away last year, and while some sections have since been repaired, Sanford Public Works Director Charles Andreson said more work is scheduled in coming weeks for the “109 end” of Sam Allen Road.

In Springvale, a bridge on Morrison Road washed away as a driver attempted to cross.

A resident on Walnut Brook Road lost her entire front yard when raging floodwaters washed away dirt around the foundation leaving pipes exposed.

A tree fell across a Twombley Road culvert, blocking it. The rising waters washed away the culvert as well as the bridge. A yawning 100-foot wide gap was all that remained, save a guardrail dangling in mid-air. Residents living south of the damage on Twombley Road were forced to use Fox Hill Farm Road as an alternate route or detour to Sand Pond Road to reach Route 4 until late August.

Damage on Twombley Road alone was estimated at $500,000, Andreson said.

The small creek that crosses Emery Street in Sanford became a raging river as it rose above the roadway.

President George W. Bush declared a major disaster for the state and the head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s FEMA announced that federal disaster aid was available for the state of Maine to supplement state and local recovery efforts.   

York County was among the six Maine counties requiring personal and public assistance from FEMA.

The reimbursements assisted the town with the repair costs to Twombley Road and other town owned property, including about $4,300 to repair sidewalks and landscape on River Street, near the Sanford Water District where had water rushed across the roadway, rendering the street impassable. 

Andreson said the town absorbed the cost to repair 21 sites that sustained less than $1,000 worth of damage. 

He said only one major repair on Marjorie Street is left to complete in the wake of the storm and said the town expects to receive the final payment from the state when the work is complete. 

He said bridge upgrades were recently completed in the Edmund Street/Howard Street/Rolle Street neighborhood. 

Damaged pavement was replaced on Belaire Drive and Thomas Street.  

Andreson said there was little work that could be done on Gatehouse Road to alleviate future flooding.  

“It’s very flat there,” he said. “The water lies there because there is no pitch.”

But on the other side of Route 109, a “big drain” along Route 99 near the Rosenfield development was enlarged.

Andreson said the money from FEMA enabled the town to complete repairs, but set the town back on some scheduled projects. 

“We’ve still been able to keep up with capital improvement plan projects,” he said. “If we can get Jagger Mill Road finished before the roundabout is finished, that will be amazing.” 

  To contact Renee Worthing, email news@intheregister.com or 282-4337 ext. 240.