Severe storms, flash floods in NJ, NY, CT
FOX 5 NY’s Briella Tomassetti has the details.
CONNECTICUT – One person was killed and one is still missing in Connecticut after catastrophic floods destroyed roads and bridges and trapped terrified residents as rapidly rising waters blocked escape routes.
“Yesterday was a pretty devastating day here in Connecticut,” said the head of the Connecticut State Emergency Management Agency William Turner said. “Initially, two people were reported missing in Oxford who were swept away after their vehicle became stuck. One of them was recovered this morning and the search for the second person continues.”
Turner said calls for help were coming in throughout southwestern Connecticut as flooding continued throughout the day and into Sunday evening.
RELATED: Flooding on Long Island causes entire street to collapse, rescue measures required, authorities declare state of emergency: VIDEO
“We have carried out a fairly extensive rescue operation to save the people affected by this extreme. Flash flood We experienced that yesterday,” he said.
While flooding was reported in communities along the Interstate 95 corridor, such as StamfordMany rural communities were particularly hard hit by the devastation.
“The heaviest rainfall seems to really come from Monroe up to Beacon Fallsand definitely in some of the more rural parts of the state, but off of our main roads like I-95 and I-84,” Turner said. “But nonetheless, many state and county roads are severely damaged and we’re assessing them right now to determine the impacts and see what we need to do to reopen them.”
The dangerous situation began to develop on Sunday, when heavy precipitation Rain continued for hours over the same areas in western and southern Connecticut.
The National Weather Service issued a rare Flash flood emergency for the area as flooding continued, and many towns in the region reported heavy rainfall.
Highest rainfall amounts. (FOX Weather)
The community of New City More than 30 cm of rain fell, while Shelton received just over 10 inches.
Monroe was just below at 9.98 inches.
Middlebury recorded just over 9.5 inches, and Naugatuck A little more than 20 centimeters of rain fell.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont declares a “state of emergency”
On Monday, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont declared a “state of emergency.”
“I have signed an emergency declaration in response to the historic flooding that caused extensive damage in Connecticut,” Lamont said in a post on X. “This declaration can help more quickly deploy some of the resources needed for our response, including possible federal assistance.”
Local states of emergency in Connecticut
Due to the considerable damage caused by the large-scale flash floods, the cities Southbury And Naugatuck.
Officials in Southbury said numerous roads in the city were damaged by the flooding and motorists were being urged to stay home until conditions improve.
Dramatic Videos from Southbury shows several vehicles stuck in rapidly rising waters near a shopping center while a firefighter desperately tried to clear a sewer.
Another dramatic video from Southbury showed a stranded driver and a Dog were rescued after their vehicle became stuck in rising water.
Tania Carver captured the moment on video, showing a man wading to the car and helping to pull the driver and dog out. In the video, the driver can be seen holding a prosthetic leg and then pointing to his dog in the back seat.
Naugatuck Mayor Pete Hess announced that he too had declared a local state of emergency because of the floods.
“Just because the rain has stopped for a while doesn’t mean you can drive around,” Hess said in a Facebook post. “Many roads are closed. Other roads are impassable. Do not go out and drive.”
A video released from Naugatuck also showed vehicles attempting to drive through the floodwaters near a shopping center, and another video showed rushing water flowing down a slope toward a gas station on South Main Street.
Travel was also significantly impacted due to flooding in Connecticut.
Several Metro-North lines in CT discontinued
Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi said several lines in Connecticut were closed due to flooding.
Due to the situation, numerous roads remain closed and Metro-North Railroad announced that operations on the Waterbury Branching in both directions due to a landslide vicinity Seymour.
Customers are advised to New Port line until service can be restored.
“Total devastation” in Oxford
The city of Oxford was also badly hit by the floods: several bridges and roads were either destroyed by the flood or covered with stones and other debris.
“You know, I dare say nobody was prepared for this,” FOX 61 Connecticut reporter Brooke Griffin said Monday. “You know, we knew it was going to rain. In fact, most of the state probably just thinks it’s going to rain. But that’s just not the case in this area of the Naugatuck Valley in Oxford and Southbury.”
Griffin described the scene as “pure devastation” as she stood in front of a washed away bridge.
“This is one of the main roads for this part of Connecticut,” she said. “This area usually has a lot of people driving. It’s pretty rural, but it connects a lot of cities and towns out here.”
The water has now begun to recede, but Griffin said she has noticed more and more pavers breaking away.
Landslide and gas leak lead to evacuation in Danbury
A state of emergency was also declared in the city. Danbury in western Connecticut due to flooding.
According to the National Weather Service and the city’s Emergency Management Agency, emergency crews responded to the Woodland Hills Complex on Shelter Rock Road, where a landslide had caused a gas leak and evacuations.
Several streets in the city remain closed as water continues to recede and cleanup efforts continue.
Firefighters rescue 19 people and a dog from the floods
Firefighters rescued 19 people and a dog safely from the raging floods in the southwest on Sunday evening Connecticut during a Flash flood emergency.
The state experienced widespread and catastrophic flooding in Fairfield And New Port counties, resulting in numerous water rescue operations, several mudslides and a major gas leak. Thunderstorms bring heavy rain In the worst-hit areas of the state, nearly 10 inches of rain fell, with rainfall rates ranging from 1 to 2 inches per hour.
Ambulance from Beacon Hose Fire Brigade responded to calls around 5 p.m. in Seymour And Oxford when concerns arose that the nearby Brookside Inn restaurant, where several people were located, might be at risk from rising floodwaters.
“Oxford fire crews have been extremely busy with emergencies throughout the city, so Beacon Hose has requested permission from the Oxford Fire Department to conduct a rescue operation,” said the Beacon Hose Fire Company.
Beacon Hose rescued 19 people and a dog from floodwaters at the Brookside Inn restaurant in Oxford and a nearby residence on Sunday evening. (Beacon Hose Co. No. 1)
Rainfall in Fairfield County
- Bethel: 7.92 inches.
- Bridgeport: 2.75 inches.
- Brookfield: 7.07 inches.
- Danbury: 4.12 inches.
- Darien: 6.42 inches.
- Fairfield: 2.25 inches.
- Greenwich: 3.98 inches.
- Monroe: 9.98 inches.
- New Canaan: 7.61 inches.
- New Fairfield: 6.82 inches.
- Newtown: 10 inches.
- Norwalk: 6.08 inches.
- Redding Ridge: 9.22 inches
- Ridgefield: 5.45 inches.
- Sandy Hook: 12.17 inches.
- Shelton: 9.99 inches.
- Stamford: 6.87 inches.
- Stratford: 2.10 inches.
- Trumbull: 2.37 inches.
- Westport: 3.55 inches.
Precipitation in New Haven County
- Ansonia: 4.22 inches.
- Bethany: 3.84 inches.
- Cheshire: 3.33 inches.
- Guilford: 2.59 inches.
- Hamden: 3.51 inches.
- Meriden: 4.76 inches.
- Middlebury: 9.55 inches.
- Naugatuck: 8.04 inches.
- New Haven: 2.11 inches.
- View: 4.50 inches.
- Seymour: 6.71 inches.
- Southbury: 6.83 inches.
- Wallingford: 3.63 inches.
- Waterbury: 5.11 inches.
- West Haven: 2.98 inches.
- Wolcott: 3.75 inches.
- Yalesville: 4.51 inches.
Click here for more information on rainfall amounts in our region.
Flood warning on the coast
Flood warnings remain in effect for many coastal areas. Click HERE for more information.
FOX Weather contributed to this report.
