FirstLight Power will be opening the flood gates at the Stevenson Dam in order to lower water levels above the dam in anticipation of heavy rain.
The news comes from an interview at 10:30 a.m. with Shelton Police Chief Joel Hurliman.
“They are going to be lowering the water levels at Lake Lillinonah and Lake Zoar via the flood gates, so as early as the afternoon we may get some flooding in the Maples,” Hurliman said. “They are trying to lower the levels to mitigate what they anticipate is coming.”
The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the Housatonic River at the Stevenson Dam Wednesday morning.
The river was at 11.9 feet at 9:15 a.m. The flood level is 11 feet. It was 11.4 feet at 7 a.m.
Click here for a website that tracks the level of the Housatonic at the dam.
Click here to track the Housatonic River at Gaylordsville.
Click here to track the Housatonic at Great Barrington, Mass.
Hurliman said police are advising residents of the Maples to take the necessary precautions, such as moving vehicles to higher ground.
He stressed it’s difficult to predict how much water will be flowing, so that residents should take precautions in advance.
The National Weather Service is warning of heavy rain passing through the region from Thursday to Saturday.
As much as 3.5 to 4.5 inches of rain is possible, according to a flood watch message from the National Weather Service. The ground is already soaked from a rain system that moved through the area a few days ago.
The Housatonic River’s level isn’t just a concern for the Maples — residents in Derby, Oxford and Seymour live along the river, too.
It’s hard to predict just how serious the flooding could or could not be, said Charles Burnham, a spokesman for FirstLight Power Resources.
“The (rain) prediction on its own is significant, but when you add the big storms we’ve had recently, the ground is already saturated,” Burnham said.
Lake Lillinonah upriver was being lowered to about 186 feet in anticipation of the heavy rain. It’s usually about 197 feet this time of year.
Burnham also said FirstLight has been sending messages to local leaders and police to keep them in the loop.
“We’re letting them know that this is going to be a heavy storm. Be prepared. Let residents know that they may need to evacuate or at least prepare for some heavy water down stream,” Burnham said.
Water over the Stevenson Dam Wednesday morning was flowing at a rate of 10,000 cubic feet per second. A single cubic feet of water is roughly the size of a basketball.
The rate could reach up to 30,000 cubic feet per second in the next few days.
The Housatonic spilled its banks In March 2011, soaking low-lying communities in Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton.
The water flow through the Stevenson Dam was between 50,000 and 60,000 cubic feet per second, Burnham said.
Original post from 8:14 a.m. Wednesday is below:
The National Weather Service in Albany, N,Y, has issued a flood warning for the Housatonic River at Stevenson Dam, from this morning until late tonight.
At 7 a.m. Wednesday the stage was 11.4 feet.
Flood stage is 11.0 feet.
Click here for a website that tracks the level of the river every hour.
Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast.
Forecast: The river is to fall to below flood stage after 11 p.m. Wednesday.
Impact: At 11.5 feet, water reaches the Maples area of Shelton.
