The Monadnock Region was pummeled by heavy rains during a thunderstorm Tuesday night that closed seven state roads.

Sullivan Centre Street, which runs from Sullivan into Keene, was the worst hit and could be weeks away from completely reopening.

The Department of Transportation does not have a cost estimate on the damage yet, spokesman Bill Boynton said on Wednesday afternoon. “We're out there still in the assessment stage.”

“Probably the most expensive fix is going to be this Sullivan Centre Road in Sullivan. It's heavily damaged and could take quite a while to get fixed,” he said. “That one's comparable to some of the serious type damage that we saw in (Hurricane) Irene. … About three-quarters of a mile is just really heavily damaged and impassable.”

Several residents on Sullivan Centre Road can only access or leave their homes on foot, he said.

DOT is working to hire an outside contractor to start the emergency road repair work as soon as possible, Boynton said.

Route 9 in Sullivan was closed for high water and so that a bridge inspector could ensure the bridge over Otter Brook was safe. By mid-day the water had receded allowing the road to open to one lane of traffic. By the end of the day, Route 9 was open to two-way traffic.

In Gilsum, Route 10 is closed from the Keene town line to the Marlow town line. Boynton said he doesn't expect DOT workers to be able to open it to even one-lane traffic until the middle of next week. It will be another few weeks before Route 10 completely reopens, he said.

Surry Road in Gilsum reopened to two-way traffic by Wednesday afternoon.

In Westmoreland, Route 12 was closed from Goodrums Crossing to Wymans Road in Keene.

It is expected to re-open to one lane at any time, Boynton said.

County Road in Westmoreland, from Prospect Hill Road to Watkin Hill Road, is expected to open to one lane in two to three days.

In Alstead, Route 12A, which was closed from Walpole Valley Road to Camp Brook Road, has reopened to one lane of traffic.

“Our highway maintenance forces are pretty much going to be working straight out to reopen these other sections,” Boynton said.

How to get in and out of town was the hot topic for Gilsum residents gathered at the Gilsum Village Store on Wednesday.

The residents said the Tuesday night flooding was worse than the 2005 floods that had also hit the region hard.

Residents were concerned about how long Route 10 to Keene would be closed. Many in the small town travel to Keene for work, to shop and for medical appointments.

Mary Hull, 82, of Banks Road said she was “tired, hot and frustrated.”

“I'm calming down now, 'cause goodness, it was scary. Lucky I live on the hill. My whole road, one side is washed out. So it could have been a lot worse, but I was happy to get up this morning and take stock of the damage.”

Hull said her electricity went out at 8 p.m. on Tuesday night and came back on at 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

What could have happened was more frightening that what actually did, Hull said.

“When they said, tornados were going to come down, that really put fear into me,” she said.

A Gilsum family living on Finch Road had to be rescued from their home.

“They got stranded. The road had washed out, and they called 911 and asked to be evacuated,” a member of the Gilsum Fire Department said. “Fortunately, we were able to carry them through running water to safety.”

It was a young family — mother, father and two young children, he said.