On Sunday, a devastating flood rapidly developed across portions of Connecticut as storms trained across the southwestern part of the state for hours. This surprisingly destructive event was reminiscent of the unexpected severe flooding event that swept through the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont at the end of July. Sunday's event led to numerous rescues, evacuations and instances of damage.
Among the communities that were hit by the flooding, Southbury was among the hardest hit. The town was one of the first to report major flooding issues Sunday afternoon. After hours of training thunderstorms, a flash flood emergency was issued for Fairfield and New Haven counties. This alert is reserved for only the most significant of flooding situations. The flood waters rose within minutes outside the Southbury Plaza, where local citizens helped perform multiple rescues of people trapped within their cars.
Also in Southbury, around 50 campers at Kettletown State Park had to be rescued after all roads and walking paths to the sites were washed out, leaving the campers stranded. The Southbury Fire Department was able to ferry the campers from their sites to a boat launch. They were brought to the local fire house for shelter while the rains continued to fall.
Long after the rain stopped, the center of Southbury was flooded again early Monday morning when a logjam broke apart, allowing backed up flood waters to spill through the town once again. The fire department had to reactivate the swift water rescue team while this happened.
The town stated that up to 60 roads were affected by flooding, including a dozen total closures. As of Monday night, nine roads in the town remain completely closed. The Southbury Public Library will be closed until further notice after sustaining significant damages. All parks, athletic fields and the town pool are also closed. Many parts of the town were left with a thick layer of mud after floodwaters receded.
Newtown was in the center of the training thunderstorms, and likewise reported the most amount of rain from Saturday night through Monday morning. The town saw just over 12 inches, most of which fell Sunday afternoon. As of Monday afternoon, 40 roads in the town remained affected by the floods with 36 sustaining severe damages. Multiple cars were swept off roadways during the storm, but no injuries were reported within the town.
In four separate areas of the town, homes were completely cut off by blocked roadways with residents stranded inside. The town's first priority in road repairs is to get these areas reconnected to main roads. Public works crews are working 24/7 to get roads reopened around the town. Around the town, residents were handing out free coffee Monday morning.
Another town hit particularly hard was Oxford. Tragically, this town was the site of two fatalities that occurred during the flooding. Both were swept away by the Little River after exiting their vehicles in an attempt to flee the floods after the river rose within minutes. A firefighter assisting with rescues sustained minor injuries.
The town sustained some of the worst damages in the state. Like Southbury and Newtown, many roads were washed out and heavily damaged. Similar to other flood ravaged towns around New England, simple trips have become a maze of detours. As of Monday night, a dozen road closures remained in effect. Six bridges in the town have been washed out.
Along with the washed out roads and bridges, the town also experienced mudslides and home collapses. A home on East Hill collapsed after having the foundation undercut by Five Mile Brook. The homeowner and her child were able to get out of the house unharmed before the collapse.
The town was also the site of a harrowing rescue of 20 people trapped inside of a restaurant. The fire department used a long ladder for patrons and employees to climb across what had become a raging river in the restaurant's parking lot and nearby street. A local market, Market 32, sheltered 100 taking refuge inside. The market offered food, water and dry clothes to those inside.
Other towns and cities around the area also saw major issues develop. At one point Sunday afternoon, multiple buildings were being evacuated simultaneously in Danbury. A large mudslide within the city led to a gas leak, though this was contained quickly. All roads in Danbury have reopened. A wedding venue in Monroe was evacuated after a large sinkhole formed. Monroe was also the site of a rescue of a family trapped within their home.
As with the other recent major floods in New England, this will be a weeks-long recovery process with some projects likely taking months. It will be weeks before the full cost of damages is determined. A state of emergency remains in effect for the areas hardest hit by the flooding. Connecticut's governor has also put in a request for federal aid from FEMA.
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