Cranston installs state’s first flood detection and warning system

CRANSTON – Heavy rain occasionally overwhelms the drainage system at the intersection of Oaklawn and Wilbur avenues, a flood-prone area in the city where the road can flood by a foot of water or more.

Trying to avert property damage and personal harm, the city has installed a new flood detection and warning system at the intersection, where a dip in the road, under the railroad bridge, can fool drivers into thinking the water depth isn’t that deep, according to a release from the office of Mayor Allan Fung.

The solar-powered device, which costs $29,000, includes a sensor that detects when the lowest point of Wilbur Avenue is flooded, and activates a system of flashing LED lights.
The system is the first one installed in Rhode Island and was purchased from Ocean State Signal, a Rhode Island company, according to a statement from city spokesman Mark Schieldrop.

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