The Night The Pawcatuck River Broke Its Banks

The overflowing Pawcatuck River rushed up and over the Donahue Park pier that night a year ago, the sound akin to an oncoming train. Across its span the Up River Café swayed, as if it might dislodge from its embankment foundation at any moment. A officer loudly cautioned stunned onlookers: “Back up. Back up or get ready to run.”

The building held, but the river didn’t. It broke its banks and wreaked havoc on the two lifelines between Pawcatuck and downtown Westerly, RI; the bridges at Broad Street and Stillman Avenue. For weeks the only way in to Westerly was over Route 78.

"I have lived in Pawcatuck for over 30 years and I have never seen anything like it,” Nancy Bulkeley, a Pawcatuck Road resident recalled of the March 2010 flood.

“We live in lower Pawcatuck and there are only two ways out (Mechanic Street and Greenhaven Road). That's the first time I thought, ‘we might not be able to get out of our neighborhood.’ We've had some bad winters and minor flooding over the years, but nothing comes close to last year’s flood.”

Street flooding would abate albeit not quickly, but for others, especially Wendy Carr, owner/operator of the popular Pawcatuck river-hugging , life—and business—would not be the same for many weeks. After being hammered for days by raging currents swelled with debris, the 80-year old Pawcatuck Bridge was ordered closed until it could be inspected.

Daily tens of thousands of cars traverse its short span; an important connector for communities that have been as close as siblings for generations, indeed centuries. Stonington First Selectman Edward Haberek Jr. described the bridge as a critical artery and its closure illustrated clearly just “how connected we are.”

“But the residents were resilient in their understanding, caring for one another, and assistance to each other,” Haberek said. “So many residents helped each other during the flood dealing with damage, need for shelter and distress. I feel very blessed to live in this wonderful community. We all worked together through this unprecedented event.”

As a rule, Wendy Carr plans ahead with plans a, b even a ‘c’ as contingency back-ups, but for this event she was unprepared. The waters rose but not high enough to flood her downtown Pawcatuck café perched above the river, yet she was not able to open because of the sites’ proximity to the bridge. And day after day it was never completely clear when the inspection would be completed and, if necessary, repairs made and the bridge re-opened.

“…(It) seemed like it was never going to happen and no one would commit as to a time frame or as to what damage had been done,” Carr explained. “We kept hearing maybe two years. I was devastated. I actually cried. Insurance would not cover my loss of business because they said it was due to a flood and flood insurance wouldn't cover because we were not flooded.”

But her business survived the month-long closure, by the skin of its teeth, and lots of support from the community and the endurance and patience of her staff.

“It did take a financial toll on the business but Prime Time Café is a solid business with fabulous community support,” Carr said. “The closure was also really rough on my staff all of whom has worked here for many years and feels like family. I felt responsible for them yet powerless to do anything. I was really happy to reopen and get them back to work and receiving paychecks again.”