Johnston mayor orders evacuation of street affected by flooding ahead of weekend storm

JOHNSTON, R.I. (WLNE) — Johnston Mayor Joe Polisena, Jr. said that he is ordering a mandatory evacuation order for residents affected by flooding on Belfield Drive ahead of Saturday’s storm.

Polisena said on social media that the order comes because water has not receded on the street and the storm Saturday presents another risk of flooding.

He also said that residents who must evacuate will be housed at the Courtyard hotel in Lincoln, where around 30 people would be staying.

“This is the last thing I wanted to do, is have these people leave their homes,” Polisena said. “We don’t just have a legal, we have a moral obligation to take care of them.”

The hotel rooms are booked until Wednesday, though the water may not recede until after.

“Our police and fire military vehicles were both incapacitated by the water, the police yesterday and fire today, and first responders can no longer safely reach residents in an emergency,” Polisena said.

First responders were using a large dump truck to move through the flooded area.

Polisena added that after all evacuations occur, fire and police personnel with withdraw from the area for the safety of themselves and residents.