Residents who live along the Housatonic River in Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton received knocks on their doors early Thursday to warn them of flooding.
The region has been pounded with rain for more than 24 hours, causing the amount of water flowing over the Stevenson Dam to greatly increase.
At about 2 a.m. Thursday, FirstLight Power, the dam’s owner, contacted Valley emergency dispatchers to warn they were opening the dam’s gates and to expect flooding along the river.
Firefighters were then sent to warn the residents who live in places such as McConney’s Grove in Derby and the Maples in Shelton.
Residents were warned of the potential need for emergency evacuations.
As of 6:30 a.m., the Housatonic River at the Stevenson Dam was at 12.8 feet.
The flood stage is 11 feet. The National Weather Service considers 12.8 feet within the minor flooding stage. Water was flowing over the dam at a rate of roughly 19,800 cubic feet per second.
