Gov. Ned Lamont declared a state of emergency on Monday as parts ofConnecticut continued to recover from ferocious rainfall that led to numerous rescues and the deaths of two women who were killed after being swept away by “historic” and “unprecedented” flooding.
State officials said the two women who went missing during severe flooding on Route 67 in Oxford on Sunday were found dead in nearby Little River. Connecticut State Police identified the victims as 65-year-old Ethelyn Joiner and 71-year-old Audrey Rostkowski, both of Oxford.
At a news briefing in Oxford Town Hall on Monday, Lamont announced he was declaring a state of emergency “in response to the significant flooding that is impacting portions of Connecticut due to the historically severe rainfall that began (Sunday) afternoon and has caused extensive structural damage to roadways.” The governor noted that the severe flooding notably fell on the 69th anniversary of one of the worst floods in the state’s history in 1955.
“It is happening with more and more frequency,” Lamont said.
Lamont said state officials are focused on inspecting the state’s infrastructure to prevent any further issues from Sunday’s flooding. Going forward, he said, the focus will shift on making sure the next time a significant weather event impacts the state, its effects are less severe.
Filing the emergency declaration, Lamont said, ensures that Connecticut gets to “the front of the line” and towns like Oxford and neighboring towns can “get back on their feet.”
“I can’t tell you this will never happen again,” Lamont said. “I can tell you we’re going to make sure that we make it less frequent and make sure it’s less severe. And that’s something we’re working on every day.”
VIDEOS/PHOTOS: Damage from massive and deadly storm in CT
State officials said the Connecticut Emergency Operations Center was activated with “enhanced monitoring,” answering requests from municipalities for state resources. Lamont and the state’s emergency management team have been leading “unified command calls” with state and municipal officials and other partners to lead a coordinated response to the storm.
CT climate change focus moves to inland towns that will be hit hard. Here’s why.
Oxford First Selectman George R. Temple said town officials issued a Code Red during the heavy rainfall as the town was experiencing numerous mudslides, “significant flooding” and “other hazardous conditions.” Residents were encouraged to only call 911 if it was “absolutely necessary,” as emergency crews were busy mitigating storm damage that left several police cars underwater.
According to Scott Pelletier, chief of the Oxford Fire Department, the women who were killed during the severe flooding were swept away during separate incidents. During the first, he said, the woman was washed away as her car was stuck in flooded waters and fire crews were at the scene trying to rescue her.
A “rash of water” that came down caused the vehicle to shift, which led to a firefighter and the victim falling, Pelletier said at Monday’s briefing. The victim then got swept down into the river. A second firefighter who was assisting in the rescue also went down. Both firefighters were rescued, and one of them was treated for minor injuries.
The second victim also became stranded in a vehicle on Route 67 and climbed out before trying to cross the water, Pelletier said. The woman made it to a street sign and clutched on as racing water swept her into the river before fire crews could make it to her, according to Pelletier.
Both victims were recovered from Little River on Monday, officials said.
“This is a tragic and devastating day for Oxford,” Temple said at the news conference. “Our prayers and thoughts go out to the families of these two women.”
According to Temple, Route 67 at one point was under about four to six feet of water that moved with a “tumultuous current.” Several businesses and “many cars” were damaged or wrecked during the storm, he said.
Emergency crews in Oxford also had to rescue about 30 people who were attending a birthday party for a 2-year-old at Jackson Cove, which is a beach area at Lake Zoar. The entrance to Jackson Cove was “totally washed out,” Temple said, leaving all those in attendance stranded, which included children as young as 5 months old.
By about 10 p.m., crews had safely evacuated all 30 people by boat to Southbury, Temple said.
More than a dozen people also needed to be rescued from a restaurant in Oxford after the Brookside Inn Restaurant and a nearby residence experienced serious flooding. Crews from the Beacon Hose Co. No. 1 were dispatched to the restaurant around 5 p.m. as members of the Oxford Fire Department were inundated with other calls.
Beacon Hose crews received permission to stage a rescue when it was reported that flood waters were rising and could compromise the structure while 18 people were inside the restaurant and stranded, according to fire officials.
Fire crews said multiple trucks and a special operations trailer responded and used a stick from one of the trucks to breach the front window of the residence from 86 feet away. The resident and her dog were then evacuated.
Crews then had to extend the stick as long as it would to at 117 feet to reach those who were stranded in the restaurant. The 18 people inside were found on the second and main floors as fire crews searched the building.
According to fire officials, 17 of the stranded were able to walk on the aerial ladder with assistance. One person was loaded into a stokes basket and carried up the ladder. She received medical attention at the scene.
During the rescue, fire officials said a large propane tank became dislodged from the building and began leaking. No injuries were reported.
According to Col. Daniel Lockman, commanding officer with the Connecticut State Police, the Oxford Police Department was not operational because of flooding. Any routine calls for police should go to Troop A in Southbury at 203-267-2200. Emergencies should still go to 911, he said.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation on Monday reported that Route 115 in Ansonia was closed because of a rock slide, while washouts kept the following roads closed into Monday: Route 6 in Woodbury; Route 34 in Oxford; Route 34 in Monroe; Route 6 in Newtown; Route 317 in Woodbury; Route 67 in Southbury; and Route 34 in Newtown.
Flooding also forced closures at Route 25 in Newtown; Route 67 in Oxford; Route 172 in Southbury; Route 6 in Bethel; Route 7 in Ridgefield; Route 133 in Bridgewater; Route 53 in Redding; Route 334 in Ansonia; Route 67 in Seymour; Kettletown Road in Southbury; and Federal Road in Danbury.
Garrett Eucalitto, commissioner of the state DOT, said 27 state roads remained closed as of Monday afternoon and that many may remain closed for a long period of time. He “strongly” encouraged motorists obey all cones, signs, barrels and caution tape closing off roadways.
“Do not cross those roadways,” Eucalitto said at the news conference. “You don’t necessarily know what is underneath the pavement. The pavement could have been undermined, the bridges could have been impacted by scouring. That caution tape and those barrels are up for a reason.”
Eucalitto warned that there may be future closings to roads that were open on Monday as several hundred crews continue to inspect that damage left by the storm. He said crews have been working tirelessly to inspect above and below roadways and bridges to assure the infrastructure is sound and safe.
“It’s going to be a long recovery,” Eucalitto said. “I know I’m going to be asked when we are going to open certain roads. I am honestly saying we don’t know. We need to fully inspect every single bridge that has been impacted and the pavement that has been impacted. And until we do that inspection, until we talk to our contractors we do not know when those bridges or roadways will be reopened.”
State Sen. Tony Hwang, R-Fairfield, noted that the area of Oxford and Newtown averages about 3½ inches of rainfall each August. Over the weekend, the area saw a whopping 12 to 16 inches of rain that fell in a short amount of time.
“It is a catastrophic amount of rain,” Hwang said. “No infrastructure could accommodate it.”
According to a spokesperson for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, 43 campers and three staff members at Kettletown State Park in Southburybecame stranded during the treacherous rains when a bridge washed out.
EnCon police and DEEP personnel coordinated an evacuation plan with the state Emergency Operations Center. Crews from the state’s Urban Search and Rescue Team, as well as the Kent and Sherman Fire Departments, assisted in the evacuation, according to DEEP.
All the campers and staff were evacuated shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday, according to DEEP. They were taken by boat to safety.
Katie Dykes, commissioner of DEEP, said Monday that Kettletown State Park will remain closed for the season. She said the bridge that was washed away was the only access point to the park and that about 20 vehicles remain stuck inside.
Dykes said DEEP officials are working with the National Guard to try to recover those vehicles.
Dykes also said Indian Well State Park was closed Monday for damage assessment and water quality testing at the beach area.
According to Dykes, officials with DEEP spent Monday working with crews to inspect several dams across the state to ensure they are structurally sound. Officials have also been working with owners of private dams and municipalities to determine whether those structures could have been compromised.
“This is a very historic and unprecedented rainfall event,” Dykes said. “And it’s consistent with the accelerating impacts of climate change as we’re experiencing.”
The town of Southbury declared a state of emergency during the storm after 15 roads were completely closed and multiple other roads were partially closed because of flooding, according to the Southbury Police Department. Police said the Pomperaug River at one point was 3 1/2 feet above flood stage.
In Danbury, emergency crews made more than a dozen rescues and had to evacuate about 100 people from a housing complex.
According to the Danbury Fire Department, about 20 rescues were made after motorists drove into flooded roads and became stranded. A large mudslide formed on Shelter Rock Road and damaged eight units at a condo complex.
Fire officials said part of Rogers Park flooded and prompted the evacuation of about 100 units at the Glen Apartments complex. Those who were displaced were provided shelter at the Danbury War Memorial and assisted by the Danbury Citizens Emergency Response Team.
Flooding suspended service on the Danbury and Waterbury branches of the Metro-North Railroad on Sunday evening and Monday morning.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., visited the towns of Seymour, Oxford, Newtown and Danbury Monday to survey the damage and discuss potential federal support with town officials. Blumenthal described the devastation as “heartbreaking and gut churning.” He said many small businesses in these towns have no way of recovering because they did not have flood insurance.
“Because who would have thought the Little River would turn into a gushing torrent of destruction,” Blumenthal said. “That Little River became big.”
“We will seek federal help,” Blumenthal added. “Be absolutely sure we will seek federal aid. They’re entitled to it. These communities have suffered.”
Several Republicans in the state also called for Federal Disaster Relief in response to the “catastrophic flooding.”
“This devastating and disastrous flooding damage will undoubtedly surpass the financial threshold for significant federal aid to the communities we represent,” Hwang, state Sen. Eric Berthel, R-Watertown, State Sen. Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford, and State Sen. Stephen Harding, R-Brookfield, said in a joint statement. “We must get this federal funding expedited and directed to help our towns recover and rebuild as soon as possible. There is no time to lose.”
Originally Published:
