Scituate Cleans Up After Blizzard, Seawall Breach
SCITUATE (CBS) - The town of Scituate said they responded to 138 emergency calls during Thursday's storm. There were also 40 high-water rescues after the seawall was breached. The town's emergency team said there were apparently no injuries.
Crews spent Friday clearing the boulders and sand from the flooded coastline roads.
"It sounded like an explosion and I looked up and a hunk of the wall missing," said Jim Mullarkey.
When the hunk of seawall went, resident Jim Mullarkey thought for the first time in 35 years he was packing a bag.
"We were all kind of ready for it, but there was a minute where I was thinking this might be the time we do evacuate," said Mullarkey.
The water came in faster than any previous storm. Amelia Chadwell tried to impress on her kids it was a storm for the record books.
"Not to be scared but something big is happening today," said Chadwell.
Friday, Governor Baker examined the seawall breach. The crack was in the old section of the wall. The new sections of the wall are a couple feet higher and thicker, which fared well.
Mark Bramblett's place is one of many homes that sits by a new section of wall and in the last few years was raised up.
"Being up on stilts really helps," said Mark Bramblett.
He credits the stilts in part with enabling him to stand in a brightly lit house a few hours later. Though, the waves were so high they left the beach on his porch.
There was one moment that made Mark evacuate.
"It (the water) ran across the deck and then up the wall, tore off some shingles off the front of the house and broke the railing," said Bramblett.
Most of the clean-up now involves basements, damaged cars and moving the rocks the ocean left behind.
"I've got some work to do in the spring," said Bramblett.
It's a job where he'll have plenty of company.
"You stop caring so much about things and just focus more on your neighbors and that kind of builds a good community," said Mullarkey.