BY MATT HERSH AND DARRELL HALEN

After hours of torrential rain and heavy winds on Monday, April 16, Salem residents were reminded of the severe flooding which occurred less than a year ago.

The water caused several streets to be closed throughout the town including a section of Main Street in front of the central fire station, where about 6 inches of water flooded the street.

Sections of a mobile home development off Route 28 were also flooded. Some of the homes and cars there could be seen with about a foot of water surrounding them.

Gusty winds also caused power outages throughout Salem and its neighboring towns. At the peak of the outages 1,332 Salem residents, 952 Pelham residents, and 112 Windham residents were without power, according to David Graves, a spokesman with National Grid.

“The numbers have been improving as the winds have died down,” he said.

Deputy Fire Chief Michael Wallace said his department received several calls throughout the day.

Five additional firefighters were called to work, most of whom spent time pumping water from flooded areas and clearing branches, Wallace said.

“It’s been a little busier than during a snowstorm but not too bad,” Wallace said.  “We’re holding our own.”

The heavy storm occurred only weeks before the one-year anniversary of Salem’s Mother’s Day flooding of 2006, where many residents were forced out of their homes and others were without power for days.

With more rain in the weather forecast, Wallace said the department will be prepared to respond to any additional calls.