Flash flood warnings were issued Sunday evening for Fairfield, New Haven, Litchfield, and Hartford counties in Connecticut, as well as Suffolk County on Long Island, New York, extending into Monday morning.
Parts of Connecticut received up to 10 inches of rain overnight, resulting in over 100 evacuations due to what Governor Ned Lamont described as "unsafe conditions."
Two women who were swept away by floodwaters in Oxford, Connecticut, were found dead, according to Connecticut State Police Commander Col. Daniel Loughman in a Monday afternoon press conference.
On Sunday afternoon, firefighters responded to a call for assistance when a woman became trapped inside her vehicle. During their rescue attempt, a surge of water breached the area, shifting the car and causing both the firefighter and the woman to fall into the floodwaters, according to Oxford Fire Chief Scott Pelletier. Despite another firefighter’s attempt to save her, the woman was carried away by the flood.
The second victim was also in a vehicle but climbed out and attempted to wade through the water. She managed to reach a sign and clung to it as firefighters tried to rescue her, but she was ultimately overwhelmed by the rushing waters. Both bodies were recovered by Monday morning.
Water rescues and mudslides have been reported across the state.
Governor Ned Lamont described the storm as "historic" for certain areas, noting that emergency crews would start assessing and addressing the damage caused by the "severe and sudden rainfall" on Monday morning.
State Senator Tony Hwang (R) reported in a press conference Monday afternoon that some areas received up to 16 inches of rain.
Residents in the western part of Connecticut are advised to stay home until the floodwaters have receded.
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Commissioner of the Department of Transportation, Garrett Eucalitto, reported that as of 1:00 p.m. Monday, 27 state roads were closed. Barrels, cones, and caution tape have been placed around these impassable areas.
Governor Lamont's statement emphasized, "Do not attempt to drive through any flooded roads." Many roads in the western part of the state are closed and are expected to remain so for an extended period. Real-time updates on road closures can be found at ctroads.org.
The National Weather Service noted late Sunday that reports of "water rescues, multiple mudslides, numerous washed-out roadways and bridges, and swollen rivers" were coming in from Central Fairfield County to Northern New Haven County.
On Monday morning, Governor Lamont announced evacuations from Kettletown State Park in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
cna reported that emergency crews evacuated 19 people and a dog from a restaurant and a nearby apartment on Sunday, using a ladder extending over 100 feet to reach them. The network also reported that apartment buildings in Danbury had to be evacuated due to a mudslide and severe flooding.
On Monday, Metro-North Railroad announced that train service on the Waterbury Branch was suspended in both directions due to a mudslide near Seymour. Additionally, service on the Danbury Branch was also halted because of flooding.
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