MONADNOCK REGION, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Twenty years ago this week, the Monadnock region faced one of its most devastating natural disasters — and WKBK Radio was on the air as it unfolded.

In the early morning hours of October 9, 2005, torrential rain triggered severe flooding across Keene and surrounding towns. At 3:30 a.m., Keene Emergency Management declared a state of emergency, and the city’s Emergency Operations Center was activated. By dawn, roads were washing out, bridges were collapsing, and residents were being evacuated as water levels surged.

Among the hardest-hit areas were Alstead, Unity, and parts of Keene’s east side. Route 12A was left with a 15-foot crater, Route 10 north of Gilson was “completely gone,” and Wickhams Mill Road was described as looking “like an earthquake.” In Alstead, a massive wave of water, debris, and homes swept through the town, killing four residents — Sally and Tim Canfield, Spencer Petty, and William Seel. Additional lives were lost in the region, including 20-year-old Thomas Mangieri, Stephen Day, and Ashley Gates.

Throughout the crisis, WKBK delivered 12 straight hours of live coverage, featuring reporters Al Cool, Bob Lund, Dan Mitchell, and others broadcasting from flooded streets, emergency shelters, and the studio. The station fielded live calls from residents describing the destruction in real time while officials coordinated emergency responses on air.

More than 100 National Guard troops were deployed, and 100 to 150 residents were evacuated to Keene’s recreation center. By evening, some neighborhoods, such as Tanglewood Estates, were cleared for residents to return home as power and water were restored.

The broadcast went on to earn multiple awards for public service journalism and remains a defining moment in local media history — a record of how one community and one newsroom faced disaster together.

Listeners can revisit that remarkable day through a restored recording of the original WKBK broadcast, embedded below.

Listen to the full 2005 WKBK flood coverage recording: