Flood in Franklin County, Massachusetts

Multiple roads were closed due to flooding in Heath. Flooding in Colrain resulted in a mudslide which closed a portion of Route 112.|Minor flooding also occurred along the mainstem Connecticut River through Montague. A crest of 30.3 feet was recorded at 2 am on the 17th (flood stage is 28 feet).

As reported by the Greenfield Recorder: a mass of ice broke free on the Millers River in Athol early the morning of the 13th. Additional ice broke free on the river near L. S. Starrett Company at 7 AM EST. The ice first struck the Exchange Street bridge, where hangers that secure a 10-inch water main to the bridge were swept downstream. The ice jam then migrated downstream to the South Main Street bridge, and finally downstream of this bridge to a sandbar one-half mile southwest. Flooding reached into the first floor level of homes on Canal Street. The Morton Meadows elderly housing complex was evacuated, as water came to within a few feet of the nearest building. By the end of January, this jam was flushed downstream to reform near the Orange-Athol town line, but the river was flowing through this new jam.

A water soaked ridge near the Green River Cemetery gave way resulting in a mudslide 13 inches deep that slid over Meridan and Water Streets. Three cars were buried and the mud was up to the foundations of three houses. This resulted in the evacuation of 17 people. These people were evacuated first to a shelter at Greenfield School run by the American Red Cross and then to family members houses (2 families) and a hotel (1 family) for the night while crews cleaned the mud from their houses. A portion of Meridian Street where it ends at Deerfield Road remained closed through the night of the 7th.