New Bedford Christian school says it has flooded five times since July and calls for a lasting fix
The school posted video of water across its grounds, classrooms and hallway floors and says it has reached out to nearly every relevant city department without finding a lasting fix.
NEW BEDFORD A private Christian school on Hathaway Road in New Bedford says the storm on Friday, Nov. 6, flooded its building for the fifth time since July, and that months of reaching out to city departments have not produced a permanent fix.
Nazarene Christian Academy posted a video Monday showing water spread across the pavement beside the school after dark, water standing in classrooms and along a hallway lined with lockers, water pooled around a floor drain and a damaged wall at the base of a glass door. "For five months, our school has faced repeated flooding, damage, cleanup, and interruptions to our students' education," the school wrote with the video.
The school said it has made multiple attempts to fix the problem and has reached out "to nearly every relevant department within the City of New Bedford" without finding a permanent solution. Text laid over the video reads "We have repeatedly asked for help" and "A permanent solution is still needed." "We are not looking to place blame. We are looking for answers, cooperation, and a lasting solution," the school wrote.
Friday night's storm
The National Weather Service's Boston/Norton office issued a Flash Flood Warning for southeastern Bristol and southern Plymouth counties at 8:54 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, naming New Bedford among the communities that would see flash flooding, including in urban and poor drainage areas. In an update at 9:14 p.m., the office said law enforcement had reported heavy rain from thunderstorms that led to numerous road closures across New Bedford and Acushnet, and that 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rain had already fallen. A Flood Watch for southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island ran until 10 a.m. Saturday.
What the floods mean for the school
Each flood brings additional challenges for the students, families, teachers and staff who are directly affected, the school wrote, and the captions on its video call it "more than just water damage," with "repeated cleanup, lost time, disruption."
The school apologized to its school community "for the repeated interruptions and inconvenience these incidents have caused" and thanked its families and supporters for their patience. It said it shared the footage to show how serious the situation has become and why a permanent solution is needed. "Our students deserve a safe, dependable environment where their education can continue without repeated interruptions," it wrote.
"Five floods in five months is five too many," the school wrote near the end of its post, followed by "Our students deserve better."
Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.
Notes
The school's account, its quotes and the scenes described come from Nazarene Christian Academy's own Facebook reel and its caption, watched and read Nov. 9 and again Nov. 10, and the school's street comes from its GreatSchools profile. The storm facts come from the National Weather Service's Nov. 6 warnings and watch on the weather service's alerts feed, and we checked that Nov. 6, 2026, was a Friday.
Corrections
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Sources (5)
- Nazarene Christian Academy, Facebook reel "FIVE FLOODS. FIVE MONTHS. STILL NO SOLUTION." posted Mon. Nov. 9, 2026Full caption: Friday, Nov. 6, 2026 flood the fifth since July, five months of flooding and cleanup, multiple attempts and outreach to nearly every relevant city department, no permanent solution, apology to the school community, why the footage was shared, quotes used. Video (1:38): title cards and frames of the flooded pavement, classrooms, hallway, floor drain and glass door. Read Nov. 9, 2026, and reread Nov. 10, 2026.
- GreatSchools school profile, Nazarene Christian AcademyAddress 764 Hathaway Road, New Bedford (only the street is used). Read Nov. 10, 2026.
- National Weather Service Boston/Norton, Flash Flood Warning for southeastern Bristol and southern Plymouth counties, issued Nov. 6, 2026, 8:54 p.m.Radar indicated, until 11:30 p.m.; New Bedford listed among locations that will experience flash flooding; urban and poor drainage areas. Read Nov. 6, 2026, and reread Nov. 10, 2026.
- National Weather Service Boston/Norton, Flash Flood Warning update, issued Nov. 6, 2026, 9:14 p.m.Law enforcement reported thunderstorms producing heavy rain which has led to numerous road closures across Acushnet and New Bedford; 1.5 to 2.5 inches fallen. Read Nov. 6, 2026, and reread Nov. 10, 2026.
- National Weather Service Boston/Norton, Flood Watch for southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, updated Nov. 6, 2026, 2:30 p.m.In effect until 10 a.m. Nov. 7. Read Nov. 6, 2026, and reread Nov. 10, 2026.