Officials: Flood Waters Caused The Death Of Two Women In Oxford

OXFORD – Two women were killed in separate incidents after being swept away by flood waters on Route 67 Sunday (Aug. 18).

State police identified the women as Ethelyn Joiner, 65, and Audrey Rostkowski, 71, both of Oxford. Their next of kin were notified, state police said.

The women were killed in flash floods that caused extensive damage to southwest Connecticut on Sunday.

Officials warned more rain could be coming Monday evening.

Local, state, and federal officials updated the public during a press conference at Oxford Town Hall Monday afternoon (Aug. 19).

Connecticut State Police Colonel Daniel Loughman said that Oxford was the hardest hit town under state police jurisdiction.

“Two individuals have been located today, and it is believed that the recoveries were of the victims witnessed and reportedly swept away by floodwaters,” Loughman said. ​“At this difficult time, our thoughts are with the families of the deceased.”

Scott Pelletier, Oxford’s emergency services coordinator and fire department chief, said that each of the two women were swept away as firefighters were attempting to rescue them.

“One of them was earlier in the afternoon. Firefighters were on scene attempting to get the victim from the vehicle, when the rash of water came in, the vehicle shifted, the firefighter fell down, the victim fell, got swept down the river,” Pelletier said.

Pelletier said a second firefighter was also knocked down attempting the rescue.

The second victim had left her vehicle and was clinging to a road sign before being swept away.

“Firefighters were in there with a high-wheel vehicle trying to get to her, and the racing water was too much for her,” he said.

The tragedy happened during a freakish storm Sunday that was not forecasted. Some 10 inches of rain fell in about 8 hours. Parts of three major state roads – Route 67, Route 34, and Route 188 – were washed away and officials said they don’t know when they will reopen.

The full press conference is below. The article continues after the video.

Pelletier said that the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is currently working to remove dozens of propane cylinders that were swept away by the floods.

Gov. Ned Lamont declared a state of emergency for parts of the state on Monday. A local emergency declaration had been issued at 6 p.m. Sunday in Oxford.

Lamont and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said they had filed for a federal emergency disaster declaration, which would unlock more funds for recovery.

“That Little River became big. It became a huge, gushing torrent of destruction, not only in Seymour, but here in Oxford,” Blumenthal said. ​“We will seek federal help, be absolutely sure. We will seek federal aid. They’re entitled to it, these communities have suffered an otherwise irreparable cost in damage.”

Blumenthal pointed out that many of the flooded homes and businesses throughout the region did not have flood insurance, and called the damage ​“heartbreaking.”

When asked whether more could have been done to forecast the floods, Lamont said that forecasting isn’t an exact science.

“In this case, I think the National Weather Service did a pretty good job,” Lamont said. ​“You never know whether it’s going to be six inches over three hours, or six inches every hour for two and a half hours, and this was as severe a storm as we can remember. These rain bombs are sudden, and they drop hard.”

FirstLight Energy, the company that owns the Stevenson Dam on the Housatonic River, sent out flood notifications to the public Sunday at 1:57 p.m., 2:33 p.m. and at 3 p.m., each time warning the flow over the Stevenson Dam was increasing.

Oxford First Selectman George Temple praised the rescue efforts of first responders at several sites, including at Jackson Cove, where 61 people were stranded for about 10 hours and rescued.

“We will overcome this in Oxford, and we will build better than ever, because we’re Oxford tough,” Temple said.

State DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes provided updates on affected state parks and dams throughout the region.

Kettletown State Park on Lake Zoar will be closed for the season, while Indian Well State Park in Shelton will be closed for the time being.

Dykes said that the Stevenson Dam is structurally sound and functioning as intended. She said inspections are being conducted at the Kinneytown Dam, near the Ansonia-Seymour border.

“We know there’s some impacts potentially around the Kinneytown Dam and the adjacent Coe Pond Dam,” Dykes said. She said DEEP is working with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to inspect the dams, and that the inspection is focused on any damage which could impact the neighboring rail line.

A report published by the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments in March raised concerns that the Coe Pond Dam was at risk of breaching, potentially leading to floods that could wipe out adjacent infrastructure.

Officials: ​“Turn Around, Don’t Drown”

Officials who spoke at the conference urged residents to obey road closures and markers, especially as more rain is forecasted throughout the Valley this evening.

“Just because today you passed over it, tomorrow it may end up being closed,” said Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalito. ​“So pay attention to those barrels, and cones, and caution tape.” 

Eucalito said that it will be a long recovery, and that some roads and bridges may remain closed for some time yet.

Pelletier said that the upcoming rain forecast concerned him.

“We’re worried about that, because people do not obey anything we put up. They don’t obey the signs, they do not obey ​‘Don’t drive on roads with water on them,’ so that concerns us,” Pelletier said. ​“But hopefully the amount of rain that’s coming comes at a moderate pace, and the basins of the river should be able to handle that.”

Sunday’s storm happened 69 years after the Flood of 1955. That devastating storm started late on the evening of Aug. 18 and became a disaster Aug. 19. It devastated the Naugatuck Valley, and killed almost 90 people across the state.