VIDEO: To Belmont Center Via the Water Route

Three storm fronts rumbled through Belmont on Wednesday, July 18, the final one just after 6 p.m., sending a river of water to the lowest point in Belmont Center – the section of Concord Avenue that lies under the commuter rail bridge – resulting in up to two feet of dank liquid flooding the roadway, providing an unexpected water challenge during the afternoon rush hour.

It is not the first time the roadway has flooded; five years ago a quick moving storm left more than two feet of water in the tunnel shorting out three cars which volunteers pushed out.

Despite the new lake that developed before them, nearly all the drivers decided to chance it and took one of two approaches to the watery obstacle: gingerly as not to create a wake or the "damn'd the torpedoes, drive a fast as you can" method (a favorite of SUV and truck drivers) that created a tsunami of water that drenched other vehicles and journalists covering the event.

Within five minutes after hitting a peak, the water began receding just as the sun came out.