The Housatonic River was at 10 feet at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, and residents along the river in Oxford are being advised to move their vehicles to higher ground.
The river’s flood stage is 11 feet. The National Weather Service is predicting the level of the river to rise to 12.4 feet by Thursday.
Two “Code Red” phone calls had gone out as of 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to fire chief Scott Pelletier.
First Light, the utility company that owns the Stevenson Dam, has been in contact with Oxford officials.
“The Housatonic River Flood Plan has been put into effect for potential flooding due to the rain event that is happening,” Pelletier said.
“(Residents) have been advised through the Code Red system to move anything in the low-lying areas that normally floods,” Pelletier said.
Two Code Red phone calls had gone out as of 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. The first was placed at 7 a.m. with a “river statement.”
The second call went out just after 9 a.m. with a “flood alert.”
The next step would be a “flood warning,” which triggers the fire department to knock on the doors of residents who live on the shores of the Housatonic along Route 34.
The Oxford fire department is monitoring the river.
“If the situation warrants it, we’ll go out and knock on doors to inform them what’s happening,” Pelletier said.
