The intense rainstorm Tuesday night dumped nearly five inches of rain over the Holyoke and Easthampton areas. The storm caused numerous power outages, serious flooding and ripped up sections of the city's roads.

"It was about two inches, two inches to about there," explained Arnaldo Rivera. That's how much water seeped into Arnaldo Rivera's home on Ridgewood Avenue Tuesday night. The water has since receded, but the repairs were just beginning in parts of Holyoke Wednesday.

Along Ridgewood, the flooding tore up the pavement and left giant sinkholes. Five inches of rain soaked the city in just a few hours. Leaving cars stuck in high water and trash floating down the road.

"There is extensive flooding throughout the city on many streets and surfaces, and run-off from brooks and water-bodies," said William Fuqua, Superintendent of Public Works. DPW crews began making trenches around 4 a.m. in the Community Field Park near Interstate 91 at the top of Ridgewood Ave. "We will continue that strategy of bringing some sand and trap rock and try to contain some of the water," explained Chief David Lafond of the Holyoke Fire Department. They tried to divert as much of the rushing water away from nearby homes as possible. But many houses were still flooded. Ridgewood and Francis Avenues were hardest hit and the Blueberry Hill and Holyoke Mall area lost power.

"With intensity of rain we had surface water that had nowhere to go, drainage pipes were filled and street flooded and water ended up in yards and basements," said Fuqua. Three hours of heavy rain running into the storm drains overwhelmed the water treatment plant, sending an overflow of raw sewage into the river. "Excess flow is relieved into the river as needed when the treatment plant can't keep up, and thats what happened last night."

Community Field Park will be closed for at least a few days while crews clean-up. As a precaution, Holyoke officials are asking residents to stay out of the area.