Article Summary –
Heavy rains caused flash floods and difficult driving conditions in Connecticut, leading to power outages and evacuations. As of 5 p.m. on Sunday, over 1,000 Eversource customers and 58 United Illuminating customers were without power, and the National Weather Service reported up to two inches of rain in western parts of Hartford County, with two to four inches more possible. The weather caused road flooding in several areas, including Danbury and New Haven County, leading to a number of traffic accidents and road closures.
Flash Floods and Power Outages Strike Connecticut
On Sunday, heavy downpours across Connecticut triggered widespread flash floods and challenging driving conditions. The severe weather also left a significant number of Eversource and United Illuminating customers without power, affecting 1,278 out of 1,314,719, and 58 customers, respectively as reported at 5 p.m.
National Weather Service Rainfall Report
The National Weather Service reported 2 inches of rain in western Hartford County as of 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Expected rainfall rate was estimated at one to two inches per hour. Furthermore, additional rainfall of two to four inches was forecasted for the warned areas.
Flood Watches and Warnings
Flood watches were in place across Connecticut, including a flash flood warning for southwestern Hartford County active until 9:30 p.m. Sunday. Flash flooding was predicted in Hartford, New Britain, West Hartford, Bristol, East Hartford, and several other communities.
Impact on New Haven County and Danbury
Parts of New Haven County faced severe impacts, with waterlogged streets and fast runoff overwhelming drains. A travel warning was issued for Greater New Haven until 7:15 p.m. Meanwhile, Danbury saw a minimum of six flooded roads, especially in the downtown area, leading to a water rescue operation on West Street where two cars were trapped in standing water.
Evacuations and Landslides in Danbury
Two areas in Danbury experienced evacuations due to the flash floods. The extreme rainfall triggered a landslide and a gas leak at Shelter Rock while Memorial Drive witnessed water damage leading to evacuations.
Newtown Police Advises Residents to Stay In
Due to the heavy rainfall, Newtown Police Department warned residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary. The police stated that emergency responders were only available for residential flooding posing immediate safety risks.
Highway Disruptions
State troopers from Troop G responded to a motor vehicle accident involving a tractor trailer on Interstate 95. The north and south sides of I-95 were temporarily closed due to a crash around 9:30 a.m. near Exit 3. Later at 4 p.m., reports confirmed flooding on I-84 in the Southbury area near Exit 15.
Rainfall Continues in Danbury
On Sunday afternoon, Danbury had already recorded over four inches of rainfall with more expected, as per the National Weather Service report.
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