CONNECTICUT, USA — Two women are dead after heavy rains flooded parts of Connecticut on Sunday and the Governor has declared a state of emergency.
State police said two people were initially reported missing out of Oxford, later confirming in an afternoon press conference that both had died.
Ethelyn Joiner, 65, and Audrey Rostkowski, 71, both Oxford residents, were found dead after being swept away from their vehicles according to State Police.
Officials said the women died in separate incidents. The first happened in early afternoon. Firefighters attempted to rescue a woman when a surge of water hit and carried her downstream. At least one firefighter had to be rescued and suffered minor injuries
In the second incident, a woman was in a car in a flooded area. Officials said she got out and tried to walk through the water and made it to a sign. As firefighters attempted to get to her, she lost her grip and was swept away.
Oxford saw the highest rainfall accumulation in the state on Sunday at 13 inches of water. Officials are monitoring Stevenson Dam as it gets close, and eventually exceeds flood stage. In an afternoon press conference, they said the dam is safe and operating as designed.
The Oxford Resident Trooper’s Office resumed normal operations at 429 Oxford Rd., Oxford, around noon on Tuesday.
Officials said 27 state roads were closed along with numerous local roadways.
Other dams in the area, both public and private, are being monitored and inspected for damage.
Several roads in town have also been washed out, including Route 34.
During a press conference in Oxford on Monday afternoon, Governor Ned Lamont announced that he had filed for a federal emergency declaration. Once approved by the federal government, the declaration allows the state to access federal funding and other resources to respond to damages left by Sunday's storms.
Southbury is under its own state of emergency as hundreds of outages were reported Monday. Many road closures are also still in place.
Areas around the town were turned into bodies of water on Sunday, including around Southbury Plaza, where people had to be rescued from the rising water. A man with a prosthetic leg was trapped in his vehicle with his dog, and a Good Samaritan helped to rescue them, captured on video by FOX61 viewer Tiana.
A total of 43 campers and three Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) staff members were rescued after being stranded in Kettletown State Park due to a washed-out bridge. Twenty vehicles remained behind.
Kettletown State Park and Indian Wells State Park area closed for the remainder of the season said officials.
Oxford First Selectman George R. Temple said, "It was a tragic and devastating for Oxford." He said Route 67 was under four to six feet of water. Businesses and homes were damaged, and many cars were flooded. "Oxford got sucker punched yesterday and taken out at the knees."
More than 30 people had to be rescued after a birthday party at Jackson Cove on Lake Zoar. Those rescued included children and one infant.
Local, state, and federal officials thanked emergency responders for their quick actions. Temple, Oxford's First Selectmen, described receiving numerous calls from residents volunteering to help.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said he had toured several towns Monday morning, gathering information for the Federal Emergency Declaration application. He said, "Who would have thought the Little River would turn into a torrent?"
He said it was importance to build resilience to climate change, not just at the coastline, but inland as well.
State Sen. Tony Hwang said the area received a catastrophic amount of rain, as much at 12 to 16 inches, where normally, the area would get 3.5 inches.
Southbury's First Selectman, Jeff Manville, advises residents to stay home and off the roads as the clean-up and dry-out continues on Monday.
Metro-North announced that their Waterbury and Danbury branches are affected by the storm damage.
The Waterbury branch service is suspended in both directions due to a mudslide near Seymour. The Danbury branch was suspended in both directions due to flooding but later resumed service.
The 5:44 a.m. train from New Haven to Grand Central and the 8:14 a.m. train from New Haven to Grand Central will make additional stops between Rowayton and Noroton Heights.
Metro-North said travelers should consider using the New Haven or Harlem lines until service can be restored.
Gov. Ned Lamont released a statement Sunday regarding the flooding, saying he's been working with the state's emergency management team to coordinate with mayors, first selectmen, and other officials on any immediate responses that were needed.
Lamont said that the urban search and rescue teams helped at least 100 people evacuate, and officials plan to help towns with any resources they need to keep the public safe.
“This was a 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," Lamont said in the statement.
If anyone needs emergency assistance, they're asked to call 911. For any other non-emergency questions, they're asked to call 211 to get directed to resources they need.
Lamont said he's urging municipal officials in the impacted areas to continue coordinating with their emergency management regional coordinators for assistance.
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Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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