Torrential downpours flooded local roads including Park Avenue and Reservoir Avenue this morning after a fierce thunderstorm dumped more than an inch of rain in less than an hour.
By 11 a.m., the sun was poking through the clouds and roads were clearing up. But in the hour-and-a-half beforehand, cars were stalling and flooding out across the city, pothole patches were popping up, culverts were eroding and rescue crews and tow trucks were plowing through roads that had turned into rivers.
A flash flood warning remains in effect until 1 p.m.
At the peak of the flooding, dozens of motorists were stranded. An AAA driver told WPRI that they received 26 calls for stranded cars in Cranston alone.
The flooding also hit Ten Thousand Villages in Garden City Center, where water covered the entire floor, forcing the store to close for the day.
A store employee who answered the phone said that the whole store is flooded and they're trying to clean up. It's unclear if it will be cleaned up by tomorrow but the store will be closed for the rest of the day today, she said.
Flooding of city streets is a frequent occurrence in recent years and has been happening whenever heavy downpours exceed the capacity of storm drains, especially areas with a large percentage of pavement.
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