A torrential rainstorm submerged vehicles, downed trees, killed power, flooded basements and brought the evening rush hour to a halt in the entire Valley Friday.
The vicious little summer storm first came calling around 4 p.m. with multiple lightning flashes and growling thunder.
By 5:30 p.m. it was on — downtown Seymour was especially hard hit.
Major flooding was reported along Route 67 throughout Seymour and into Woodbridge. Parts of the road were still closed at 8:30 p.m., apparently due to a partial collapse of the road bed. WTNH reported the road will be closed for 24 hours.
An estimated 4.5 to 5 inches of rain was reported.
Seymour Fire Chief Tom Tomasheski said the fire department on Great Hill Road was struck by lightning, disabling much of the department’s radio communications.
Firefighters were using back up communication as of 8 p.m., but didn’t have radio contact with the town’s ambulance corps.
Video below shows the traffic situation in Seymour as the water receded. Story continues after the video.
Flash flooding hit several parts of Seymour — concentrated in the downtown area, Tomasheski said.
The Seymour Ambulance Association building, behind Town Hall, was flooded.
Several cars got stuck on Route 8 because of rising water.
The highway had to be shut down, and some cars towed out, Tomasheski said.
Cars were also under water on Pearl Street in Seymour.
A bridge on Beecher Street eroded, and had to be closed, he said. The state Department of Transportation was called in to examine the bridge.
School Street was hit especially hard. The road, on a steep hill overlooking Route 67 and Route 8, became washed out in several places as rain water poured down.
Robert Branch, a volunteer firefighter in Seymour, witnessed the water rushing down School Street, over an embankment, and into the parking lot behind the Board of Education office.
In the video below, residents describe waste-deep water in the area. Story continues after the video.
Branch said the water also poured from School Street onto Martha Street and then onto Route 67, where it pushed against the Seymour Lumber building and back into the road — creating a whirlpool.
Tomasheski said a tree fell on a car parked along that stretch of Route 67 and there were power lines down in the area.
Video below has short interview with CL&P supervisor about that fallen tree. Story continues below video, which was shot by a CT Post reporter.
About a third of the town was without power Friday evening, Tomasheski said.
At about 7:30, firefighters were called to the Stop & Shop on Franklin Street for a report of flooding there.
Tomasheski said a water drain on the building’s roof had collapsed, sending lots of water inside the building.
The store had to be evacuated and closed, because of standing water inside and a flooded basement, Tomasheski said.
Stop & Shop was handling the clean up, according to Tomasheski.
Traffic delays were epic.
NBC 30 Photo from NBC 30 shows Route 8 above downtown Seymour.
It took a Valley Indy reporter 60 minutes to travel from downtown Shelton to downtown Seymour.
It took 50 minutes to take Route 8 from Bridgeport to Derby.
Click here to read about how Oxford weathered the storm.
Video below is from Friday night’s WTNH 10 p.m. broadcast:
