CONWAY — Town officials are continuing to assess damage to roads and residences following the recent string of heavy storms that slammed the region, and ahead of more rain in the forecast.

The Selectboard met Monday to discuss the damage and possible ways for the town recoup some of its losses. Chair Philip Kantor said the amount of rain the town has received in the last few weeks has been unprecedented and the town has been meeting with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as well as local and state legislators, to discuss potential disaster relief.

“It’s never been like this before. The water is Old Testament-style,” he said by phone Tuesday. “These are full-on natural disasters. … The question is, what next? What are we going to do about it?”

From July 1 through July 16, all of western Massachusetts — as well as parts of Vermont and Connecticut — received more than 300% of their normal precipitation levels for that period, according to Cornell University’s Northeast Regional Climate Center.

While the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration doesn’t have a station in Conway, its volunteer station in Greenfield has recorded approximately 8.4 inches of rain since July began, compared to July’s average monthly rainfall of 4.06 inches.

All that rain has led to varying extents of damage on at least 15 roads in Conway, with the worst damage occurring on Main Poland Road, according to Town Administrator Veronique Blanchard.

“It’s wrecked beyond recognition and I don’t even see how it can be fixed it’s so bad,” Kantor added.

Other damaged roads include Wilder Hill, Whately, Cricket Hill, Old Cricket Hill and Shelburne Falls, among others, Blanchard said.

Kantor and Blanchard said they’ve received reports of private property damage, too, including washed out driveways and a couple of flooded basements. They’ve been instructed by MEMA to record that information from residents, which may allow some funding to come to town.

While that may be a possibility, Blanchard said she’s heard that the region may not qualify for federal disaster relief because a minimum number of dollars in damage must be reached for an area to become eligible.

“FEMA uses a per capita amount as an indicator that the disaster is of such severity and magnitude that it might warrant federal assistance, and adjusts this figure annually, based on the Consumer Price Index,” according to the agency’s website.

Kantor noted President Joe Biden’s emergency declaration for Vermont’s flooding does not apply to western Massachusetts.

“I honestly don’t know what’s going to happen,” Blanchard said. “I’m hoping both our state and federal legislators can help.”

While Kantor said this experience has been an “eye-opener” and “pretty depressing,” he said Conway and its residents have avoided any injuries or damage to critical infrastructure, like bridges.

“We feel like we dodged a couple bullets in that regard,” Kantor said.

Any Conway residents who have experienced damage resulting from July’s rainstorms are encouraged to contact Blanchard for reporting purposes at townadmin@conwayma.gov.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.

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