RUMFORD – Shoppers were out in force Monday in downtown Rumford. Or maybe it just seemed that way due to a lack of off-street parking caused by large banks of plowed snow.

People parked in the street or wherever they could find a spot, creating traffic hazards for delivery trucks and emergency vehicles.

Shoppers in Bethel village experienced similar problems.

The nor’easter that caused the mess dumped 30 inches on Rumford and about 3 feet on Bethel.

“It’s unreal! It’s scary! It’s just massive, but we shall survive,” said Bethel Town Manager Scott Cole.

Cole said that town crews had been working in a continuous work-sleep mode for the past 45 hours, clearing roads and unplugging driveways filled in by town and state plows.

“In the village, the challenge is to break open holes along the side of the sidewalks. A lot of people were also plowed in with snow that was so thick we had to bring in a bucket loader to clear the curb cuts. It was intense,” he added.

Despite having nine pieces of equipment on the road clearing snow and a couple of contractors, there were no mishaps.

Road crews in Bethel, Rumford, Mexico, Dixfield and Peru could not be reached for comment.

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