FARMINGTON — Wednesday afternoon some flooding occurred along both sides of the Intervale near Gifford’s and Racing Mart after a thunderstorm moved through the area.

At 1:55 p.m., the National Weather Service in Gray issued a special weather statement about a strong line of thunderstorms in southeastern Somerset and Franklin Counties.

The statement read in part: “Radar indicated strong thunderstorms were located along a line extending from Bingham to Phillips. Movement was southeast at 20 mph. Winds in excess of 30 miles per hour and pea size hail are possible with these storms. Locations impacted include… Chesterville and Farmington. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms, and may cause localized flooding.”

Shortly after 3 p.m., the second of two rain events moved through town. While there was no hail observed at The Franklin Journal office on the Wilton Road, the rainfall was substantial.

Wednesday afternoon a Town of Farmington Water Department truck drives through flooding near Racing Mart on the Intervale. A thunderstorm with heavy rain had just moved through the area. (Pam Harnden/Franklin Journal)

About 3:45 p.m., a Town of Farmington Water Department pickup truck was seen in standing water in front of Racing Mart. The driver several times drove forward and backwards through the water that was more than halfway up the side of his front tire at the deepest point.

Noah Bogar of Farmington and a friend rode their bicycles across the road where it was flooded. Bogar later rode on his back tire only through the water on the Hippach Field side of the road.

Wednesday afternoon water pooled on both sides of the Intervale in Farmington after a thunderstorm with heavy rains moved through the area. (Pam Harnden/Franklin Journal)

Water was also seen partially filling parking spaces on Main Street.

Stan Wheeler later posted a video on his Facebook page of water pooling on the side of Fairbanks Road across from the Margaret Chase Smith apartments.

Wednesday evening, local weather observer Dennis Pike said 0.44 inches rain fell in about 20 minutes. Winds during that time averaged 32 to 33 miles per hour. The final gust equated to 35 mph.

“That’s more like winter readings than summer ones,” he said.

pharnden@sunmediagroup.net