Several displaced after flooding in Nahant

NAHANT, Mass. (WHDH) -- Waves caused flooding and damage in Nahant, forcing several to evacuate.

“Boom we were on the ground, as quick as I says take a picture of that wave it knocked us right down on the ground,” said Ed Bemis.

Bemis and his wife were watching the waves from their house on Salisbury Beach. The large waves battered many homes and even a motel along the ocean.

“We got my grandchildren hoisted over the back fence with the fire department’s help. They had to cut a fence to get me out the back and when they opened the door to the office, it came flooding, you could hear it crashing down the stairs into the office and we live in the basement in the apartment. It flooded right into our motel office,” said Robin Weisenstein, motel manager.

The situation forced emergency management officials to order evacuations with the help of the National Guard.

“They got right out here quickly and that was fortunate because the water was starting to rise on some of the roads,” said Bob Kook, Emergency Management Director.

“We were sleeping. We got a call around 9:30 saying that we were all being evacuated. We were going to go upstairs to a different apartment and we went upstairs and it was full of snow and firefighters came and they had to cut down the fence behind our building. They carried all the children out, put them in a bus, and now we’re here,” said Christina Sargent, evacuee.

The evacuees are staying in a shelter until the Red Cross can find them a more permanent place until their apartments are inspected.