No One was Prepared for one of the Worst Floodings in Rhode Island’s History.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states the Pawtuxet River, which runs through Cranston, crested at 20.79 feet Wednesday, nearly 12 feet above flood stage. Pawtuxet River is now finally falling back to where it should be. The National Weather Service stated it will remain in major flood status until about midday on Friday. The river isn’t likely to fall below flood stage until Sunday.

Rhode Island seems to have gotten the worst of it. On Tuesday, a rainstorm soaking the Northeast worsened the effects of another major storm from two weeks ago. Tom Econopouly of the Northeast River Forecast Center in Massachusetts stated the storm dumped 8.75 inches of rain in East Providence, 7.6 inches in downtown Providence, and 5 inches in Cranston,.

On Friday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will visit Rhode Island to check on flood damage and meet with leaders from state and local agencies to put a plan in place for recovery efforts.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be helping support local and state responders. Rhode Island has made an emergency declaration, and the President has approved it. On Thursday, officials stated that it would be months for Rhode Island to recover.

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