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Sailin' away to Morrissey-a-ville

By adamg on Sun, 01/14/2024 - 2:07pm
Man in canoe with handheld sail to catch the winds off Dorchester Bay

One of these days, years, decades, the state promises to do something about Morrissey Boulevard so it doesn't flood when it rains or somebody spills their iced Dunk's. In the meantime, Savin Hill Sailor shows us yesterday's Second Semi-Annual Morrissey Boulevard Challenge, which involved getting across and along Morrissey Boulevard when cars couldn't. Don't worry: The canoe was equipped with a paddle for when the winds die down or the sailor's arms get tired. Video.

Neighborhoods: 
Dorchester
Topics: 
Weather
Free tagging: 
Rain
Morrissey Boulevard


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Comments

By cybah on Sun, 01/14/2024 - 2:48pm.

Not sure what the state can do. That whole area is landfill on marshland. Its meant to hold water. Drains just become useless because when you're a foot or two above sea level, the water just doesn't go anywhere. Add a king tide and the area just can't drain.

(I'm going to assume that area like other parts of Boston have street drains that just go to the harbor with backflow covers to prevent water flooding the drains and a faulty one isn't the case here)

I went down a internet rabbit hole one night and read about Boston's sewer woe's and from the look at historical aerials of that area, there wasn't much development there until the late 50s/early 60s. Then the Bayside Mall came, with the housing projects, then later Umass.

This might have been one of those areas that shouldn't have been developed. There was a reason why the Calf Pasture Pumping Station was the only building there for almost a 1/2 century. (and a reason to be there.. to pump sewage to Moon Island for treatment). Even though Savin Hill and South Boston were fully developed.

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By tachometer on Sun, 01/14/2024 - 3:45pm.

Up by the entrance of UMass I believe they made improvements with "one way" covers over the ends of the outfall pipes and underground storage areas to hold the runoff while the tide is high.

From what I've seen that's part of the plan for the rest of the roadway down to Freeport along with raising the roadbed by several feet. According to the designs I saw even during a heavy rain & king tide the water would stop flowing out and be collected in those storage areas while the tide was up. Then when the tide dropped and the water pressure inside the system is greater than outside it will flow out into the harbor.

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By Rwgfy on Sun, 01/14/2024 - 3:23pm.

Water after rain is unprecedented

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By SwirlyGrrl on Sun, 01/14/2024 - 10:25pm.

This is the tide plus a surge.

So, while More o' Sea Blvd. can fill up with rainwater, it is usually the storm tides and king tides that close it down.

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By John z on Sun, 01/14/2024 - 3:59pm.

That is hilarious! Love their ingenuity and sense of humor.

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By anon on Sun, 01/14/2024 - 6:54pm.

That doesn't look like an example of common sense. But it does look like an example of common sense being not too common.

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By Tim Mc. on Sun, 01/14/2024 - 7:01pm.

I kind of want to try bicycling across.

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By SwirlyGrrl on Sun, 01/14/2024 - 10:21pm.

These guys in boats are at least in boats, but floodwaters are usually heavily contaminated with sewage as measured by e Coli. and whatever toxic stuff is around to soak up.

You want to avoid direct contact if at all possible.

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By StillFromDorchester on Sun, 01/14/2024 - 8:18pm.

That will fix it :>)

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