Photo Courtesy Of Beacon Hose Co. No. 1
Flooding on Oxford Road in Oxford.
SEYMOUR – Note: this is the first story The Valley Indy published on the Aug. 18 flood in the Valley. Click this link to read other stories published since.
The lower Naugatuck Valley area was inundated with rain Sunday (Aug. 18), prompting First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis to open an emergency shelter at Seymour Middle School, 211 Mountain Road.
“We are doing a voluntary evacuation of those residents living along the river as well as all active springs and streams,” Drugonis said in a recorded message received by The Valley Indy at 7:56 p.m. “If you need to evacuate and cannot please call 911. We ask that if you do not need to be on the roads please do not drive through standing or moving water. Stay safe.”
At 9:51 p.m., Drugonis said a voluntary evacuation was also in place from 1 Derby Ave. to 600 Derby Ave. due to rising flood waters.
WTNH reported between 5 to 10 inches of rain fell in parts of southwest Connecticut by 8 p.m. Radars from the National Weather Service (NWS) showed 5 to 6 inches in Seymour by 8 p.m., 6 to 8 inches in Oxford, 3 to 4 inches in Ansonia, and 2.5 to 3 inches in Derby. Those numbers will be updated.
The Housatonic River reached 21.5 feet on Sunday, according to real-time data from the National Weather Service. That's the highest since 2011.
Gov. Ned Lamont issued a statement calling the rain storm historic.
“This was an historic storm in some areas of Connecticut. Once daylight occurs, crews will be out to survey damage and begin clean-up. If you live in the western portion of Connecticut, we are urging you to stay home if you can until the flooding has receded, and definitely do not ever attempt to drive through any flooded roads. A good number of roads in the western portion of the state are closed and are expected to remain closed for an extended period. For real-time updates on road closures, visit ctroads.org,” Lamont said.
Facebook was full of images and videos of washed out roads, particularly in Monroe and Southbury.
Beacon Falls EMS and firefighters covering calls in Oxford rescued 18 people from rising floodwaters at the Brookside Inn Restaurant at 231 Oxford Road, along with a resident and family dog from a house next door.
The restaurant’s ground floor was flooded, causing patrons to retreat to the second and third stories, according to a press release from Beacon Hose Co. No. 1.
“Firefighters assisted 17 people in walking up the aerial ladder, and luckily none of these people required medical attention. A final person was loaded into a Stokes basket and carried up the ladder to receive medical attention, but she was released after being checked out,” according to the statement.
A propane tank became dislodged during the operation and began leaking gas.
“There were also hazards in the rushing flood water, including vehicles and dumpsters,” according to the release.
No injuries were reported.
The video below is from Beacon Falls firefighters.
In Derby, a person was pulled from flood waters under a trestle where the Housantonic and Naugatuck rivers meet. There was no immediate word on the person’s condition.
The Housatonic River after the Stevenson Dam was a concern.
First Light Power, the utility company that owns the dam, sent out a series of alerts warning residents along the river in Oxford, Shelton, Seymour and Derby to prepare for flooding.
“River flows below Stevenson Station are expected to rise above 20,000 cubic feet per second,” the company said in an email at 3 p.m.
That flow rate prompted a flood warning for the Housatonic with “flooding expected to occur or occurring throughout the Lake Housatonic impoundment.”
The flood stage at the Housatonic River below the Stevenson Dam is 11 feet. The river crested at 21.5 feet as of 6:45 p.m., according to the NWS. If that number holds, it’s the highest crest since 2011.
The record is 24.5 feet during the Flood of 1955.
Twenty feet is characterized as a ‘major flood stage with widespread inundation of low lying properties from Stevenson south to Bridgeport’,” according to the NWS.
State Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria and Drugonis sent out statements saying the dam was not in danger. There were reports of the road washing away on the Monroe side of Route 34.
“The Stevenson Dam is structurally sound and is operating as it is designed to under high flow situations by passing the inflow through our tainter gates,” they said. “The dam isn’t designed for flood control, so we unfortunately cannot withhold water, meaning that the flows that are in the river are simply being passed through at the same rate.”
The water falling over the dam had started to slow as of 8:45 p.m.
“We are getting more rain tonight but don’t anticipate any issues with Stevenson. That said people should not go near the dam as the outflow is very dangerous,” they said.
FirstLight sent a message to The Valley Indy at 10 p.m. saying the Stevenson Dam is sound. The company urged people to stay away from the dam, which often becomes a place where people attempt to take photographs during heavy storms.
Click this link to read the full statement.
The Housatonic River gauged showed it crested at 20.5 feet. It was at 18.5 feet as of 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18.
Route 34 in Oxford near the Stevenson Dam was closed Sunday evening due to a mudslide and overflow from the Housatonic River.
Emergency radio dispatches at 8:30 p.m. had the Oxford Fire Department responding to calls nonstop.
Seymour was inundated, too, but no injuries had been reported as of 8:30 p.m. Sunday, according to a statement from Seymour Police Chief John A. Bucherati.
“Route 67 and Route 34 among other areas have been severely flooded and are impassable. The Emergency Operations Center in Seymour is open. The Fire Department, Police Department, and EMS services are responding to several calls of vehicles stuck in the water, propane leaks, and flooded houses, and have assisted with numerous rescues and evacuations. At this time, there are no injuries reported.”
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Flooding on Route 67 in Seymour
Derby Mayor Joseph DiMartino issued a statement warning about extreme weather.
“This evening, I’ve been in constant contact with Mark Neuendorf of the Office of Emergency Management, Fire Commissioner Gary Parker, and Derby Public Works Director Mike Pincioneri,” he said. “All three are monitoring this weather situation closely. If you are experiencing an emergency situation, please call 911. Please be safe!”
Ansonia wasn’t spared either, according to multiple posts on social media from the Ansonia police and fire departments. The city closed its flood wall on West Main Street to protect downtown Ansonia from the rising Naugatuck River.
At about 6 p.m., flooding had closed part of “Franklin Street, Wakelee Avenue at Nolan Field, and North Main Street by the exit of the one way Liberty Street.”
Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti sent a robocall at about 7 p.m.
“Avoid these areas and please stay home if you can because more storms are expected. Be safe. I will update you with more information as I receive it. Thank you and God bless you all,” he said.
The video below shows the Naugatuck River near the Tingue Dam in Seymour at 7:15 p.m. and 8:09 p.m. on Sunday.
