New Hampshire Newsmakers of the Year 2005: Floods in Southwest New Hampshire

Back in October, a little over a month after the world watched the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, torrential rain fell on New Hampshire's southwest corner. Seven people were killed, roads were washed away, bridges totally destroyed, and homes and businesses damaged.

The worst of the destruction, by far, occurred in the tiny town of Alstead. Here, a blocked culvert caused a wave of water to pour through town, ripping up roads and washing away homes. Since that day the town has pulled together, as residents struggle to clean up the mess and comprehend how the gentle Cold River could cause such extreme damage.

Climatologists called it a 500-year, maybe even a 1000-year flood. Such an event can only be called a 2005 Newsmaker of the Year.