MINOT – Dan and Candi Gilpatric had a front row seat for a Saturday afternoon scene that had most Minot residents still talking Sunday evening.

“We were in the stranded zone,” Dan Gilpatric joked after finally being able to leave his property along Route 119 late Sunday afternoon. “Everything out here was impassable.”

The couple were among many residents stranded after heavy downpours triggered flash floods that washed away large portions of routes 119 and 124 – including a Route 119 bridge over Bog Brook near their home. Candi Gilpatric, an engineer by trade, said she’s worked on projects repairing similar road damage elsewhere, but never expected to see such destruction in her own backyard.

“Everyone’s been great,” Candi Gilpatric said. “Everybody is coming together to make sure everyone is OK.”

Among the workers they credit most with helping the small, rural community, the Gilpatrics sent out thanks to the Maine Department of Transportation. The couple said crews worked non-stop over 24 hours in order to make Route 119 passable for residents.

John Small, of Maine DOT, said that Route 119 is open only to local traffic. He said that Maine DOT officials will likely meet Monday to review options and determine the best course of action for repairing the washed-out bridge.

Small said Saturday’s thunderstorms took the greatest toll on Minot – where the National Weather Service in Gray reported five inches of rain in less than two hours.

Small said this summer’s seemingly endless rain, combined with heavy snows earlier this year, is definitely taking a toll on Maine’s roads.

“It’s hard on the road. With the winter we had and the amount of rain this spring and summer,” Small said, adding that officials do not yet know when Route 119 will reopen.