Heavy rain pounded southwestern Connecticut on Aug. 18, leading to flooded roads, water rescues and mudslides.
At least one person was found dead and another remains missing after they were swept away during flooding on Route 67, town officials told WVIT-TV.
Forty-three campers were rescued and three state workers were rescued after being stranded at Kettletown State Park in Southbury due to a washed-out bridge.
Fairfield and New Haven counties were hit hardest. Some areas saw between 6 and 10 inches of rain, with 1 to 2 inches of precipitation falling each hour, weather officials said.
Officials were warning people to stay home during the storm and that motorists should never drive through flooded streets or intersections.
In a statement, Gov. Ned Lamont described the storm as “historic” for some areas of the state.
“Throughout this afternoon and evening, I have been working with our state’s emergency management team to coordinate with mayors, first selectmen, and other municipal officials on any immediate response needed due to the severe and sudden rainfall that has impacted our state today. So far, our urban search and rescue teams have helped at least 100 people evacuate unsafe conditions,” Lamont said. “We will continue helping towns with any resources they need to immediately respond and keep the public safe.
“This was an historic storm in some areas of Connecticut. Once daylight occurs, crews will be out to survey damage and begin cleanup. If you live in the western portion of Connecticut, we are urging you to stay home if you can until the flooding has receded, and definitely do not ever attempt to drive through any flooded roads. A good number of roads in the western portion of the state are closed and are expected to remain closed for an extended period. For real-time updates on road closures, visit ctroads.org.”
Flash flood warnings were issued
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency during the evening hours of Aug. 18 for central Fairfield County and northwestern New Haven County.
Flash flood warnings were also in effect for southwestern Hartford County, southeastern Litchfield County, as well as central Fairfield County and central New Haven County.
In Fairfield County, Danbury emergency crews responded to more than a dozen calls for water rescues, according to Bernie Meehan, deputy chief of the Danbury Fire Department.
“People insist upon driving into deep water, and they get in harm’s way, and the fire department has to go rescue them,” Meehan said.
There was at least one mudslide in Danbury but it was under control, officials said.
A 110-unit elderly housing complex flooded quickly and emergency responders helped residents get out, including carrying one woman who was “basically on life support” through flood waters to get to an ambulance to be transported to a hospital, Meehan said.
Crews also evacuated pets.
“They wouldn’t leave without their pets,” he said.
Across Southbury, crews were responding to emergencies and road closures.
Southbury Police were advising residents to stay home. The department wrote on social media that emergency responders will “only be dispatched for residential flooding that presents an immediate risk to safety.”
Police said late Sunday that there were about 800 power outages and 15 roads were closed. Several other roads were partially closed.
In Fairfield County, in the town of Redding, officials said flooded streams and rivers overflowed onto roads and bridges. Emergency crews were responding to assist motorists stuck in the water.
A ‘one-two punch’
In Stamford, various buildings suffered flooding. Pilgrim Towers, a senior housing complex, had garage flooding resulting in some vehicles being covered with water. Nobody was hurt, according to Deputy Chief Philip Hayes of the Stamford Fire Department.
“We did do a door-to-door knock to make sure that everybody was OK, that they didn’t need anything, didn’t need any medicines,” he said.
Hayes described Sunday’s events as a “one-two punch.”
First, the heavy rain coincided with high tide, resulting in flooding in some areas. The second punch was river flooding, he said.
Stamford crews on Sunday morning responded to 10 vehicles where motorists needed help with floodwaters; no one was seriously hurt, Hayes said.
“Unfortunately, some people try to pass it with their vehicles that just are too low to the ground, and they get trapped in the water, and we send our engines out there,” Hayes said. “People with special suits go out, and we take the people out of danger and bring them to safety.”
This story was originally published by Connecticut Public. It was shared as part of the New England News Collaborative.
