Boston Flash Flood: Torrential rain triggers commuter chaos
A powerful flash flood event crippled traffic and stranded drivers across several towns south of Boston early Thursday morning, as a historic deluge overwhelmed storm drains and flooded major roads — including Interstate 93 in Quincy.
Meteorologists called the rainfall a “1 in 200 year event,” with totals reaching over 6 inches in some areas during a matter of hours. The rain fell so rapidly during the morning rush that it outpaced infrastructure designed to handle far less extreme conditions.
Interstate 93 closed in Quincy after severe flooding
At the height of the storm, all lanes of I-93 in Quincy were shut down after floodwaters made the highway impassable. Several vehicles were trapped for hours until the water finally receded.
Kerri Kuehne, a driver who got stuck on I-93, described the scene as a nightmare.
“It was slow traffic. We came to what seemed like a giant pond in the middle of the road,” she said. “There was a worker sticking a pole in one of the drains and I stopped… the cops waved me through. As I went through, I didn’t take my foot off the gas. All my lights came on and the car just rolled to a stop. Same thing happened to the driver behind me and to the woman on the side.”
Rainfall totals break records
The sheer volume of rain that fell in a short window stunned even seasoned meteorologists. According to WBZ-TV’s weather team, several towns saw totals more commonly associated with centuries-old storm events:
- Weymouth: 6.37 inches
- Hingham: 6.21 inches
- Braintree: 5.23 inches
- Sharon: 4.67 inches
- Walpole: 3.87 inches
“These totals equate to a 1 in 200 year event,” said Terry Eliasen, executive weather producer at WBZ-TV. That means the probability of such rainfall happening in any given year is just 0.5%.
Driver trapped in Braintree flood: “Ready to climb through the sunroof”
In Braintree, another driver found himself trapped in floodwaters that quickly rose to the window level of his vehicle on Granite Street. Identified only as Paul, he described the frightening experience:
“It was all the way up to the window… the car started flooding inside. It rose all the way up to my seat, then up to the console,” he said. “That’s when police arrived and helped me out of the vehicle. I was ready to climb through the sunroof. That was my only way out.”
Two vehicles were reportedly disabled in that same flash flood, as rescue crews rushed to aid stranded commuters across the region.
Safety reminder: even shallow water is dangerous
AAA and emergency officials are warning residents and drivers never to underestimate water on roadways:
- Just 6 inches of water can cause a vehicle to stall.
- 12 inches is enough to float most cars.
- 24 inches can sweep away larger vehicles like SUVs and trucks.
As the climate continues to shift, extreme weather events like Thursday’s flood may become more frequent, according to meteorological experts.
