At a Glance
- Two bodies were found Monday near the community of Oxford, Connecticut.
- Eighteen people were rescued from a restaurant.
- A state of emergency was declared in Suffolk County on Long Island, New York.
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A state of emergency was declared in Connecticut after flooding and heavy rainfall left at least two people dead and prompted dramatic rescues in the southwest part of the state.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said more than 100 people were helped Sunday night by search and rescue teams.
Lamont declared the emergency Monday afternoon, citing extensive damage and the potential need for federal assistance.
A state of emergency was also declared in Suffolk County on Long Island, New York, after more than 10 inches of rain there.
'Tragic And Devastating Day'
The two women who died were in separate cars caught up in the flooded Little River in Oxford, Connecticut.
One of them was swept away as firefighters worked to rescue her, The Associated Press reported. The other got out of her car and tried to hold on to a sign, but the water was too strong.
“This is a tragic and devastating day for Oxford,” the town’s first selectman, George Temple, said.
(MORE: How Connecticut's Sudden Flash Floods Happened)
Town Supervisor: 'Everything Is Downstream'
Parts of Connecticut face “an environmental and economic disaster," Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico said, according to the AP.
“Millions of gallons of water, turtles, fish, everything is downstream along with the personal belongings of many of the houses that were flooded,” Panico said.
He estimates repairs to one road alone at $10 million.
This Rain Wasn't What You Might Think
From weather.com meteorologist Danielle Banks:
“The rain in the northeast is not from Hurricane Ernesto. The combination of a slow moving system and plenty of moisture set the stage for periods of showers and thunderstorms, some of which dumped out incredibly heavy downpours.”
(MORE: What To Do (And Not Do) During A Flood)
At Least Two Dead In Connecticut, Multiple People Rescued
The bodies of two women swept away were recovered on Monday, the AP reported. Both were residents of Oxford, about 13 miles northwest of New Haven.
Scott Pellitier, Oxford fire chief, told the New Haven Register that one of the women was swept away as firefighters tried to rescue her. She was still missing as of Monday morning.
Eighteen people were rescued from the Brookside Inn Restaurant in Oxford by firefighters using an aerial ladder.
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“And we were worried about the structural integrity of the restaurant because there were literally cars floating by and large objects hitting the building," Jeremy Rodorigo, a firefighter from the neighboring town of Beacon Falls, told the AP.
Another person was rescued from an adjacent apartment, according to a local volunteer fire department's social media post.
"Our hearts are with our neighbors who have suffered losses and damages from Sunday's catastrophic flooding," the post read.
Video from Long Island showed a road washed out on the campus of Stony Brook University.
Rain totals around 10 inches were recorded in several spots in southwest Connecticut, with more than a foot in the village of Sandy Hook in the Newtown community.
In the nearby town of Southbury, an amputee and his dog were rescued from a vehicle stuck in floodwaters Sunday. A good samaritan pulled them both to safety.
More Rain Was Possible
The rain was part of localized storms over the area.
“In summer you can get these small areas of torrential rain on the order of a county or two wide that can cause major problems," weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman said.
There was still a threat for locally heavy rain Monday afternoon in New England, including parts of Connecticut and Vermont. But it was not expected to be as heavy as Sunday's rain.
“Hopefully that will keep from having another situation like Sunday," Erdman said.
Flash flood warnings were issued for several areas including parts of Fairfield, New Haven, Litchfield and Hartford counties.
(MORE: What A 'Flash Flood Emergency' Means And Why This Alert Could Save Your Life)
Ernesto Brings Rip Current Threat
Hurricane Ernesto, meanwhile, continued a trek offshore up the East Coast, bringing heavy surf along the way. New York City closed beaches in Queens and Brooklyn Monday due to a threat of rip currents.
Three people have died in rip currents along the East Coast since Friday, according to data tracked by the National Weather Service. The victims are:
-A 65-year-old man in Forest Beach, South Carolina
-A 73-year-old man in Folly Field, South Carolina
-A 41-year-old man in Surf City, North Carolina
(MORE: What A Florida Lifeguard Wants You To Know About Rip Currents)
Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.
