CONNECTICUT FLOODING: 2 killed and about 100 evacuated by rescue crews as flash floods hit parts of state



CNN

Two people were found dead and at least 100 evacuated by rescuers as heavy rains in the Northeast brought dangerous flooding to Connecticut on Sunday.

Both men were found dead in Oxford, Fire Chief Scott Pelletier told CNN on Monday. The town is about 15 miles northwest of New Haven.

Authorities previously reported one person missing in Oxford. It is not yet clear if the man is among the two confirmed dead.

“Widespread flooding and water backups” were reported Sunday, the National Weather Service warned. A Flash flood emergency The flood warnings issued Sunday were later downgraded for the cities of Waterbury, Danbury and Fairfield.

First responders rescued 19 people and a dog from the Oxford restaurant and nearby apartments Sunday night, Beacon Falls emergency management director Jeremy Rodorico told CNN.

The Brookside Inn was flooded with about 18 people, Rodorico said.

“We were concerned that the restaurant was going to be compromised and washed away,” he said. “We had very little time to get there, so we set up a ladder truck and extended our ladder 100 feet to rescue them.”

Responders rescued an elderly woman and her dog from an apartment attached to the property, Rodorico said. No one was injured, he added.

Gov. Ned Lamont said in a statement that more than 100 people were evacuated due to flooding. Report sunday

“We will continue to assist cities with whatever resources are needed to respond immediately and keep the public safe,” Lamont said.

The governor is expected to hold a press conference this afternoon on the impact of the severe weather.

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Southwest Connecticut received 6 to 10 inches of rain in six to nine hours Sunday, David Stark of the National Weather Service in New York told CNN. Monroe, Connecticut, received 9.98 inches of rain — a once-in-200-year event for the city.

Additional rain is expected throughout the Northeast Monday afternoon, with Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and parts of New York state experiencing a 2 out of 4 chance of heavy rain. Around 1-2 inches of rain is possible in the area, with some areas getting as much as 3 inches.

“Emergency management continues to report water rescues, multiple mudslides, numerous roads and bridges, and swollen rivers from central Fairfield County to northern New Haven County. Additionally, emergency management officials are evaluating the integrity of several dams in the area,” the weather service said. He said Late Sunday.

In New York, nearly 1 million people in Suffolk County were under flash flooding early Monday morning, the New York City Weather Service said.

About 2 to 4 inches of rain fell, and another 1 to 2 inches is possible, the weather service said, adding that “flash flooding will occur in small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and sewers and other poor drainage. the lower regions.”

Heavy rain created dangerous driving conditions in Connecticut, prompting several towns and cities including Stamford, Danbury, Southbury and Naugatuck to close roads.

“Many roads in the city are flooded due to heavy rains. If possible, we advise residents to stay in their homes,” Southbury police said. “Crews are working around town, responding to emergencies and road closures.”

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New York-area airports were hit by severe weather, grounding Sunday.

“A good number of roads are closed in the western part of the state and are expected to remain closed for an extended period of time,” Lamont said in his statement.

Train service Suspended in some areas. A landslide near Seymour, Connecticut, shut down train service in both directions Metro-North Railway Waterbury Branch.

On Sunday afternoon, heavy rains triggered a mudslide that led to a gas leak near an apartment complex in Danbury that had to be evacuated, Danbury public information officer Erin Henry told CNN.

Another Danbury apartment building on Main Street also had to be evacuated due to flooding, Henry added.

Connecticut’s Emergency Operations Center is monitoring the situation and has dispatched an urban search and rescue team to Southbury, the state’s Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security said. Post on X.

At least two state parks were closed due to flooding, according to postings on Connecticut State Parks X account.

Meanwhile, more than 700 flights were canceled at three major airports near New York City due to thunderstorms on Sunday evening.

JFK, Newark and LaGuardia airports will all be grounded Sunday due to the weather. According to FAA.gov.

CNN meteorologist Elisa Raffa and CNN’s Amanda Jackson and Susanna Cullinan contributed to this report.

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