The heavy rainfall Saturday into Sunday morning Oct. 30 and 31 is believed to be the cause of the damage to the stone embankment on the RiverWalk near the Overlook. A total of 6.72 inches of rain fell on Biddeford, according to the National Weather Service. Roby Fecteau Photo/City of Biddeford
BIDDEFORD — Coastal York County got a major amount of rainfall Saturday into Sunday. That rain is believed to be the cause of an stone embankment washout near the Overlook on the RiverWalk, in the parking lot of the North Dam Mill in Biddeford.
The National Weather Service in Gray reported Biddeford received 6.72 inches of rain Saturday into Sunday morning.
“The rain played a major role” in the damage, said Biddeford Public Works Director Jeff Demers.
The washout was discovered around 7:30 a.m. Sunday by someone who notified police, who in turn reported it to the Public Works Department.
“We’ll get some professional engineers in and contractors and see the game plan,” and the cost of repairs, said Demers.
Early in the week, temporary barriers were installed to keep people away from the areas where there are safety concerns, and the city planned to install more permanent barriers as soon as possible, said Biddeford Communications Director Danica Lamontagne. She said there were no known structural issues prior to the storm.
The RiverWalk remains accessible but this portion near the Overlook in Biddeford is barricaded following heavy rains that washed away a portion of the stone embankment. Roby Fecteau Photo/City of Biddeford.
“This (damage) is located at the start of the RiverWalk so the majority of the path will remain open with no safety concerns,” said Lamontagne. “You can start walking the trail at the pedestrian bridge, which can be accessed through the North Dam Mill parking lot.”
Elsewhere in the city there was some street flooding, but no major damage, officials said.
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