When water is spreading in Dudley
Dudley sits roughly 5 miles east-southeast of downtown Southbridge and borders Webster, Oxford, Charlton and Southbridge, with Connecticut just to the south. Dispatch is 24/7, around the clock, and a crew can be arranged for a flooded cellar on Saturday night as readily as a Tuesday morning leak.
If water is rising, get to high ground, shut the main valve if you can reach it dry, and keep everyone out of the water until you know where it came from. River water and sewage are Category 3 and need protective gear. For a flooded basement or a storm-driven surge, flood damage restoration is the starting point. Once the water is out, water mitigation dries the structure so the damage stops spreading.
Streets the town plan lists for repeated flooding
The 2019 hazard plan names these spots. If you live near one, the table says what to look for.
| Location | What the plan says | What to check at home |
|---|---|---|
| Progress Avenue and Paglione Drive | Repeated flooding, most recently in 2017 | Walls and floors near the foundation, since water that came once tends to find the same path. |
| Main St at Alton Drive | Listed for repeated flooding | Garage floors and entry steps, where water stands first. |
| Main St at Fabyan Road | Listed for repeated flooding | Basement stairs and utility rooms on the low side of the house. |
| Route 12 near Schofield Avenue | Listed for repeated flooding | Cellars and crawl spaces, which can hold water for days after the road drains. |
Two rivers and 536 parcels
The French River runs along the Webster line and the Quinebaug River is on the west side. The east half of town drains to the French River basin and the west half to the Quinebaug. The plan puts 536 parcels in the 100-year flood zone, 92 of them with structures worth about $12.67 million.
Here is a surprise in the numbers: as of 2017 the plan found zero NFIP claims and zero repetitive-loss properties. That does not mean the water never comes. It may mean owners had no flood policy to claim on. Standard homeowners policies usually exclude flood, so check the FEMA flood map for your address and ask your insurer.
The plan lists 31 dams, two rated High Hazard (Lower Merino Pond Dam and Merino Pond Dam, both town-owned). Gore Pond Dam and Perryville Pond Dam are Significant Hazard. A hazard rating describes the consequences of a failure, not its likelihood. In 1955 nearly every dam on the French River was destroyed, which is a reminder that river water here has done real damage before.
River water in the cellar?
Call now. The line is open every night and weekend, and same-day response is offered when available.
If sewage backs up in Dudley
Central Dudley is on town sewer, which runs to the treatment plant in Webster. Homes outside that area use private systems. Either way, a backup is a safety job.
- Stay out and stop using waterNo flushing, showers or laundry. Every drain in the house feeds the same line.
- Call the right people in the right orderFor a municipal problem, after-hours water or sewer emergencies are routed through Dudley Police. Then call the restoration line to start the response.
- Contain the areaClose doors, keep pets and children away, and do not run fans, which spread contamination.
- Arrange removal and sanitizingSewage is Category 3. Porous materials such as carpet and drywall usually come out, and water damage cleanup covers the removal, sanitizing and deodorizing.
Before we arrive
Four things worth doing in a Dudley home while the line arranges a crew.
Shut the valve
Close the main water valve. If the water is coming from outside, shut off the gas and furnace only if you can reach them dry.
Power with caution
If the panel is in a wet basement, do not touch it. Call the utility or 911 for electrical risk before you call us.
Photograph and lift
Take photos of the water height, then lift keepsakes, papers and electronics. Keep damaged and undamaged items apart for the claim.
Clear the house
People and pets stay out of river or sewage water. Floodwater can hide holes, glass and open drains.
Newer than Southbridge, still older than you think
The hazard plan counts about 4,384 occupied units in Dudley, with 65.8 percent built in 1979 or earlier and only 20.2 percent before 1940. That is younger than Southbridge, where about 81.6 percent date to 1979 or earlier. In practice you find fewer plaster walls and more drywall, carpet over slab and finished basements, so wet carpet pad and wall bottoms are the common fix.
Dudley Hill, home to Nichols College, is the town's historic center, and the terrain around it is upland and fairly flat. Slopes of 15 to 25 percent cover only about 9 percent of town, so water here tends to pool rather than run off. Code Enforcement and Inspection is at Town Hall, 71 West Main St, for rebuild permit questions.
ZIP 01571 covers all of Dudley, from the Route 12 corridor and Dudley Hill to the French River line, and the top calls are flood damage restoration and water mitigation. Connecticut's Thompson lies just south of Dudley and Webster. Neighbors in Webster and Charlton are served from the same line.
Dudley on the map
Dudley water damage questions
Yes. Dudley has one ZIP code, 01571, and it covers the whole town, from Dudley Hill and the Route 12 corridor to the French River line with Webster and the Quinebaug on the west side.
Yes, 24 hours a day. Tell the person answering what is wet and how deep, and you get instructions for the first minutes. No arrival time is promised, and same-day response is offered when available.
The plan counts 536 parcels in that zone, but only the FEMA flood map can say about your address. Check it, and ask your insurer about a separate flood policy. NFIP policies usually carry a 30-day waiting period.
For a problem in the town system, after-hours water or sewer emergencies are routed through Dudley Police. For cleanup inside the house, call this line. Stay out of the water either way.
Yes. Homes with private wells and septic still get the same response, though a septic system that overflows needs a septic professional for the source before cleanup begins.