From Shelby Lin Erdman, CNN
(CNN) - Flood-weary residents in Rhode Island surveyed the damage as waters started receding, with officials saying Thursday the long-term recovery could take months.
"The Pawtuxet River, which impacts our community, crested," said Fire Battalion Chief Joseph Greenwell. "But at this point, there's widespread damage throughout the city from the river, which overflowed its banks."
The Northeast, particularly Rhode Island, battled flooded roads and basements for most of the week. Many of the schools in the region remained closed Thursday.
"We haven't had anything that's physically washed away yet, but the impact of the floodwaters rushing over the bridges and eroding the foundations of the bridges," Greenwell said. "The water is still too high to determine exactly what the damage is going to be once the floodwaters recede."
A rainstorm formed earlier in the week and soaked the Northeast on Tuesday, exacerbating the remaining effects of another major storm from two weeks ago. Rhode Island appeared to fare the worst. FULL STORY