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hen you hear “low-lying area” in weather reports, think Hodges Street.

The north winds blowing the past few days made Hodges down by the Town Dock one of the first places to go wet. The asphalt there — and on Main Street, one block up on the Duck Pond — isn’t high enough to stay dry during nor’easters.

Fine weather for dogs. Humans were more scarce.

There’s been some discussion about working more cooperatively with Mother Nature by putting a bridge over part of Hodges Street between the harbor and the Duck Pond. A small committee is looking in to making similar changes on Main Street. too.

All of that is just in the talking stage right now. On Wednesday it was flood stage on Hodges.

Water was lapping over the wharf on to Hodges, while across the street, one Bean customer was seen taking an alternate route off the porch.

This first series of photos shows the challenge folks had just in getting their Wednesday morning coffee at The Bean.

Al Boudreault shows how to keep one’s feet dry: avoid the front stairs and climb down the side of the porch.

A chair for those who want to climb to the porch from drier ground than the pond that formed in front of the building.

Ralph Evey arriving at the Town Dock. Another foot of water and he might’ve been able to take his boat right up to the Bean steps.

Walking across Hodges Street actually meant walking thru less water than by taking the land route. (Lower right in the photo is the toy ambulance that tops the ambulance fund container.)

The high water kept cars and trucks away from Hodges. There were few bikes, as well. Here’s one lonely one.

When the waters get high, the trash cans go floating -like tall ships — down the street. Town crew hauled them off before they went AWOL in this nor’easter.

A Danforth anchor in action in a yard on South Water Street. The anchor’s line is attached to the wooden dock at the edge of the Duck Pond to make sure it doesn’t float away in high water.

Along the wharf near the Town Dock early Wednesday morning. The waters were to get higher than that later in the day.

Posted Wednesday September 24, 2008 by Melinda Penkava