Flash flooding causes car troubles in New Bedford

By Kainani Stevens

kstevens@abc6.com

Heavy rain and strong winds passed through the region Wednesday morning, hitting New Bedford pretty hard. The city was dealing with the effects of flash flooding for part of the morning.

One underpass was completely washed out and a few unlucky drivers got to experience that flash flooding first-hand. The intersection of Weld and Purchase Streets was flooded and cars were almost completely submerged in water.

Part of New Bedford is very low-lying so when cars take an exit off Route 18, they often can’t see the water until it’s too late.

Two cars had to be towed out of one spot earlier in the morning. Both stalled out as they tried to pass through almost three feet of flood waters. This is not an uncommon occurrence at this intersection.

"Every time in this city, right down here it floods every night, every time it rains it floods. They think they have 4-wheel drive cars but 4 wheel drive doesn’t cut it and you die right in the middle of a puddle." Other dangerous flood conditions happen across town at Belleville Ave. Massachusetts State Police closed down sections of Route 18 and Route 195 for several hours due to the flooding, but they have since been reopened.

(C) WLNE-TV 2015