Coastal areas saw some flooded roads yesterday afternoon as heavy rainfall hit the area and east and central York County received flash flood warnings.

According to a spokesman from the National Weather Service in Gray, Saco received just over 5.25 inches of rain Wednesday.

Saco Emergency Management Director Steven Boucouvalas said late Wednesday afternoon that there had been some minor street flooding, a few flooded basements and some leaky roofs. Boucouvalas said officials were now focusing on the hurricane and urging citizens to be proactive. For information on emergency preparedness, go to www.ready.gov or www.sacomaine.org/departments/ema, he said.

In an email Wednesday around noon, Old Orchard Beach Town Clerk Kim McLaughlin spread the word that the town’s transfer station would be closed due to the rain and the need for all personnel to respond to calls. The town’s public works, police and fire departments were working as fast as they could to put up barricades on the many streets that were flooding, she said, adding that she advised people to use caution when driving and avoid areas covered in water.

McLaughlin’s words of caution echoed simple advice offered by the National Weather Service in its flood warning report: “Turn around … don’t drown when encountering flooded roads.”

Old Orchard Beach Police Chief Ricky Plummer said late Wednesday said there were a couple of cars submerged up to the hood at the intersection of First and Heath Street, where the flood water was the deepest, and public safety officials had to assist people out of the vehicles.

Other areas of town where flooding occurred Wednesday afternoon were the corner of Walnut and Portland Avenue, where Plummer estimated the water was about a foot deep, the intersection of West Grand and Union and some side streets in the Ocean Park area of town.

The Kennebunk Police Department reported on its Facebook page that Beach Avenue, which runs along Middle Beach, was closed Wednesday afternoon as the ocean splashed over onto the road.

Some inland communities reported a few minor issues. In the Springvale section of Sanford, a small portion of pavement on Hanson’s Ridge Road near the border with Shapleigh was undermined. Crews worked on repairs Wednesday and were scheduled to finish up today. Some storm drains became clogged, a public works spokeswoman said, but there were no major issues.

In Waterboro, Public Works Director Douglas Foglio said the crew cleaned out as many ditches as they could Tuesday in preparation for the storm, which he said helped avert flooding. Two newly constructed roadways – Straw Milll Brook and Deering Ridge held up well under the heavy rainfall, he said.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected]. Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells contributed to this story.