MELROSE — Tuesday’s nasty nor’easter dumped plenty of rain on the city, causing streets to flood and about 2,200 National Grid customers to lose electricity during parts of the storm
Between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. the city saw all manner of localized street flooding, the major ones being at the corner of Lebanon and Sylvan streets, Tremont Street at the City Yard and further north by Morelli Field. The portion of Melrose Street at the intersection of Tremont was also flooded.
The MWRA reported its drainage pipes were at capacity, requiring crews to come and pump them out.
A significant part of the southern end of Melrose was without electricity for at least two hours Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Homes went dark on Wyoming Avenue, Lebanon Street, Linwood Avenue, Forest Street, Mount Vernon Avenue and Sylvan Street.
Catch basins needed to be cleaned around the city as the system reached its maximum water capacity.
Melrose firefighters were kept on the move throughout the storm. From about 5 p.m. Tuesday until about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, they responded to 53 calls, mostly water related.
Around 11 p.m. Tuesday, firefighters went to a home on Walton Park after a young woman there smelled an electrical burning odor and began to investigate. Just to be safe, the family called the Fire Department. Crews discovered carbon monoxide levels four times higher than the level at which a building should be evacuated.
A department spokesman said had the family gone to bed, they may not have awakened.
The home was ventilated until all the readings for carbon monoxide had stabilized.
Fire offiicals also said that the majority of homes they went Tuesday had puddling to a couple of inches of water in the basement. About a handful, however, had between four to five feet of water in the basement and in two of those cases the power was completely shut off.
Water began to recede Wednesday morning.
Although no one estimated the amount of rain, neighboring Wakefield saw about 4.5 inches during the nor’easter.
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Police handled a couple of calls from residents who allegedly had packages stolen from their doorsteps within the last week and a half.
On Wednesday, December 3, for example, an Albion Street resident said a delivered package was missing from outside his home around 1:45 p.m. On Saturday, December 6, a West Emerson Street resident said a package had been stolen from outside his apartment sometime before 9:30 a.m.
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On Sunday, December 7, at 10:10 a.m. an off-duty police officer reported damage to property at the Wyoming Cemetery.
At 11:54 a.m. the same day, property damage was reported on Whittier Street.
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A large pothole at the intersection of Washington and Gould streets was reported December 7 at 8:41 p.m. A traffic cone was set up and the DPW was notified. The situation was addressed Monday morning, December 8.
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Also on Monday Dec. 8:
• A truck reportedly struck a traffic light at the corner of Main Street and West Wyoming Avenue around 12:45 p.m.
• A chicken was found in the 200 block of Lynn Fells Parkway around 2:30 p.m. The Animal Control Department was notified.
• A hypodermic needle was discovered at the Lincoln School Playground around 2:40 p.m. A child allegedly picked up the needle but it did not puncture his skin. Still, a parent brought the child to the nurse’s office to have his hands washed. The nurse provided further advice as well.
• Police dealt with a complaint of youths ringing doorbells on Florence Street around 3:50 p.m. Police spoke to the parents of the youths and the matter was resolved.
• At about 8:10 p.m., police received a 911 call about a man who had overdosed in his car at the Mobil Station, 386 Main St. The man was taken to Melrose-Wakefield Hospital.
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On Tuesday, December 2:
• Painters working on a building at the corner of Franklin and Greenwood streets around 10:35 a.m. reportedly were blocking a sidewalk and had ladders in the street. The crew was spoken to and a work foreman responded to the scene.
• An allegedly drunk man was reported in the lobby of a Stone Place building. Police went there just before 3 p.m. and sent him on his way.
• A bicycle was reported stolen from a Cargill Street home around 4:40 p.m.
• A 44-year-old Lynn woman will be summonsed to court after reportedly being in possession of a stolen car. The victim went to police headquarters to report the incident at about 5:10 p.m.
• A man reportedly approached a young child on Sheffield Road around 5:20 p.m. asking what day it was. The man was described as appearing confused. Police handled the situation.
• A caller reported around 7:20 p.m. that someone in a white van with a cleaning name on the side of it may have been dumping something into the wetland area at the corner of Penney Road and Penney Hill Road.
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On Wednesday, December 3:
• A worker said he saw a silver Lexus pull up to two youths near the corner of Vinton and West Foster streets around 2:40 p.m. and ask if the kids wanted a ride. Police searched the area but found nothing matching that description.
• At 4:35 p.m. a Melborne Avenue resident reported a scam in which the victim unfortunately sent the requested money.
On Thursday, December 4:
• An Orris Street resident said around 1:50 p.m. that someone called saying he was from the Internal Revenue Service and was looking for some personal information. None was given.
• Police investigated an attempted break into a home on Upham Street around 6:10 p.m.
• Police went to the Bellevue Country Club around 10 p.m. after being told that construction work was being done under flood lights. The construction soon ended for the night.
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On Friday, December 5:
• A manager at Papa Gino’s on Main Street called to report a man was sleeping in a booth around 9:50 p.m.
