DANBURY, Connecticut — At least two people were found dead in Connecticut on Monday, a day after more than 100 people had to be rescued as torrential rains brought extreme floods towards the western part of the state.
In Oxford, emergency crews rescued more than a dozen people Sunday, but two women were swept away by floodwaters Sunday in the town about 15 miles northwest of New Haven.
Beacon Hose Company No. 1 used its tower ladder as a bridge to pull 19 people and a dog from floodwaters at the Brookside Inn restaurant and a nearby residence.
Two bodies believed to be those of the missing women were found Monday, Connecticut State Police Col. Daniel Loughman said.
“Last night, the Connecticut State Police assisted with rescue efforts and personnel to extract people stranded in Kettletown State Park as well as Jackson Creek on Lake Zoar. The only way to get there was by boat. The efforts were successful and the victims were evacuated to a shelter in Southbury,” Loughman said. “Yesterday, it was reported that two women were swept away by flood waters in the town of Oxford. Two people were located today and it appears that the individuals recovered are those who were seen and believed to have been swept away by flood waters.”
“It just reminds us that we have to stand together in a time like this, especially given the tragedy,” Gov. Ned Lamont said. “These two women were swept away by the flood. It’s just unbelievable, what happened out there.”
“Millennial” rainfall
“In some areas, we’re talking about 1,000-year rainfall events. So we’re talking about 25-year, 100-year, 500-year, even 1,000-year rainfall events. So these are historic, unprecedented flood events,” said Brenda Bergeron, deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
A state of emergency is in effect.
Videos posted on social media show flooded roads and stranded cars across western Connecticut. Many roads in the area remain closed.
Lamont urged motorists to avoid disaster by driving through floodwaters.
“When you see those yellow cones, stop. You can say, ‘Oh my gosh, look at this road, it looks okay, I don’t see much water.’ There could be a culvert underneath, there could be water flowing underneath. That thing could disappear at any moment. Please pay close attention to it,” Lamont said.
In a message posted Sunday evening, Lamont called the storm “historic.”
Flooding in Danbury
Danbury, a city of about 87,000 on the border of Putnam County, New York, is facing road closures and damage.
City workers moved mud with their muscles in an attempt to reopen Shelter Rock Road Monday after the epic rainstorm.
“This morning it was just mud. It was just mud,” said Leon Breece of the Danbury Department of Public Works.
Mud washed away from the Berkshire Hills apartment complex, causing flooding that eroded the road and carved a path through landscaping. Residents were asked to evacuate.
“I took my bananas, I took towels, my shampoo,” Angelica Alvarenga said.
Road collapses in Monroe, Connecticut, due to flooding
Roads in western Connecticut paid a price, including a major road washout near Stevenson Dam in Monroe, about 12 miles north of Bridgeport, where nearly 10 inches of rain fell.
“So there’s a lot of traffic here throughout the day and it’s going to cause inconvenience not only for us but for our surrounding neighbors,” Monroe Police Chief Kevin White said.
“I’m really amazed at what Mother Nature can actually do. It’s impressive but terrifying at the same time,” said Monroe resident Joe Hough.
Click here for the latest forecast from First Alert.
Tony Aiello
