David Nergaard of Massachusetts stands next to his dry Stanley Steamer after a torrential rain storm came through Kingfield.KINGFIELD -- By the time it took David Nergaard of Littleton, Mass. to drink a pint of beer at Longfellow’s Restaurant, he watched the Carrabassett River rise over five inches.

Nergaard was in town for the Stanley Museum auction last Wednesday as torrential rains fell in isolated areas of North Franklin County. While it never rained in Stratton or New Portland late that afternoon, nearly five inches of rain fell in a very short period of time in Kingfield.

The rain cause some roads and road shoulders to erode, such as the Mill Road in downtown Kingfield and shoulders along Route 27 north of town.

Nergaard, having made his 206-mile trip to Kingfield in his 1922 Stanley Steamer 735M Roadster in a little over eight hours, said he was not concerned about the driving rain at the time.
 

Meanwhile across the street at the Herbert Hotel where his Stanley was parked and where he was staying, water tuned from puddles to small ponds behind the building.

Dawn Sova of the Herbert said she looked downstairs and saw that water was coming in under the basement door and initially said she was not concerned. Within one hour however, over three feet of water had entered the basement. It has yet to be determined what caused the backup other then massive amounts of precipitation in a short period of time --too much for the existing drainage system to handle. The total damage to the building has not been determined, but the costs could be substantial.

Nergaard's 1922 Steamer, being parked closest to the newly formed rising pond, had water up to the hubs of the 36-inch wheels. He was able to wade through the water to move his vehicle to higher ground.

Kingfield and New Portland fire departments arrived at the scene and worked tirelessly pumping the basement, while local electrician Dan Pinkham shut down the power to avoid electrical shock, Sova explained. Responders finished with assistance by 10:30 p.m. Construction and assessment crews have been onsite all week.

It has yet to be determined how much the insurance companies will contribute.