Tide, Winter Weather Cause Flooding In Salem

SALEM, MA -- Tuesday morning's high tide at 9:44 am crested at 11.2 feet in Salem Harbor. That was nearly as high as the 14-feet reached during a winter storm earlier this month, but it was enough to cause plenty of problems in Salem.

With up to two-feet of storm surge predicted, crews closed tide gates and set up flood barricades on Bridge Street and Lafayette Street. DPW crews also tried to get an early jump on the winter weather and started salting roads overnight.

In addition to the weather and the water, crews responded to a water main break on Palmer Street. Water service in the area from Pingree Street to Congress Street on Palmer Street was shut off as crews worked to fix the break.

The good news is that the storm wasn't nearly as bad as the January 4 storm, which prompted one local weather observer to declare the city was experiencing the worst coastal flooding in 50 years. That storm was followed by a flash freeze, which complicated clean-up efforts in Salem.

An hour after high tide, Cape Ann Weather, the official National Weather Service Twitter account for a region, posted a photo of water lapping over Derby Wharf.

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Photo by Cape Ann Weather.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).