Floodwaters Submerge Warwick Mall in Rhode Island

April 5, 2010 - Warwick - Rhode Island suffered extensive property damage during the rains and flooding last week, and one popular shopping mall was almost completely underwater. According to reports at NECN.com, the flooding was particularly severe at Warwick Mall, a popular shopping center on Bald Hill Road in Warwick, Rhode Island.

Pictures provided by NECN.com show floodwaters nearly reaching the mall's roof. Warwick Mall measures one million square feet and it contains approximately 80 stores, most of which saw extensive inventory and property damage. Store managers described the scene as the worst flooding they've ever seen in Rhode Island, with water that was strong enough to move 200-pound furniture around the stores.

Now that the floodwaters are beginning to recede, the mall's staff and employees will have a better idea of just how much damage has been caused at Warwick Mall. Some estimate that the clean-up process from these devastating floods will take at least 2 months, if not more. Fortunately, those who worked at Warwick Mall are eligible for unemployment benefits from the Federal Emergency Management Agency until the mall reopens.