Water Recedes, But Residents Can’t Return to Homes

GOFFSTOWN --- 04/19/07:  Water Recedes, But Residents Can’t Return to Homes
By Stephen Beale 

The flood has receded from the Lynchville and Danis parks but residents will not be able to return until this afternoon while fire and building inspectors make sure their homes are safe, town officials said yesterday. 

That did not sit well with residents who said they were eager to get back into their homes so they could start cleaning up after the flood.

Judi Puglisi said the Piscataquog River had pulled back from her 7 Sonny Avenue property by the end of Tuesday. That evening, she said the town Fire Department had approved her house, but Goffstown police would only let her back for a few minutes on Wednesday. 

“We got approved yesterday,” Puglisi said. “We should have been in there last night.” 

Police Capt. Michael Sullivan said the Fire Department had initially scoped out the flooded neighborhood to make sure it would be safe to turn the power back on. Additional inspections were necessary, he said, to ensure the flood had not made it dangerous to be inside homes near the river. 

Sullivan said town officials were trying to finish those inspections so residents could return by 4:30 p.m. today. 

“How many more inspections do we need, if we were approved by the Fire Department?” Puglisi said. “It seems like they’re taking their time.” 

Puglisi and her husband, John, said that yesterday they had been allowed back for about five minutes check on their three dogs. Instead, they said they should have been given five hours to begin cleaning up their property and removing mold. 

“The longer they let it sit in the house, the worse it’s going to be,” John Puglisi said. 

It took them even longer to get back into their house last year, because their first floor had been enveloped by the floods. Since then, that floor has been turned into a basement with new living spaces built on top. 

Since the damage was not as severe, the Puglisis said they could not understand why it was taking the town so long to complete the safety checks. When they asked around, they said they weren’t given any answers. 

“I’m sure they have their reasons, but no one is explaining the reasons,” Judi Puglisi said. “It’s all just, ‘Be quiet and go away.’” 

Sullivan said residents could not be let back in one at time for security reasons. If some people went back to their homes which had been deemed safe, he said, they might wander into other buildings which might be dangerous. 

“This is a big deal, because we are all ready to riot,” Puglisi said. 

Meanwhile, several roads in Goffstown remained closed yesterday. They are: Andre Avenue, Chatel Ave. by Sonny Ave., Danis Park from Aurel Drive to its end, Dumont Park, and Russell Ave.