2 dead in Connecticut after catastrophic flooding leaves trails of destruction

OXFORD, Conn. – Two people are dead in Connecticut after catastrophic flooding destroyed roads and bridges and trapped terrified residents as rapidly rising water cut off escape routes.Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont declared a statewide emergency after Sunday’s historic flooding in western Connecticut. “The sudden and severe flooding has caused significant damage to infrastructure in the western portion of the state, resulting in evacuations, rescues, and more than two dozen road closures that we anticipate will need to be closed for an extended period,” Lamont said. The flooding has claimed at least two lives as of Monday afternoon. Connecticut State Emergency Management Director William Turner said two individuals were reported missing in Oxford after their vehicles were swept away. The bodies of both women were recovered on Monday from the Little River. WATCH: CONNECTICUT FIREFIGHTERS RESCUE 19 PEOPLE, DOG FROM SWIFTLY RISING FLOODWATERS IN OXFORDTurner said hundreds of calls for help were received across southwestern Connecticut as the flooding continued throughout the day and into the evening on Sunday.While flooding was reported in communities along the Interstate 95 corridor, like Stamford, many rural communities took the brunt of the devastation.”The heaviest rains really seems to set up from Monroe up into Beacon Falls, and definitely some more rural parts of the state, but away from our major highways like I-95 and I-84″ Turner said. “But nonetheless, we still have extensive damage to a lot of state roads and local roads that we’re out there assessing now to determine the impacts and to see what we’ll need to do to get them reopened.”The dangerous situation began to unfold earlier in the day Sunday as heavy precipitation continued to fall over the same areas of western and southern Connecticut for hours.The National Weather Service issued a rare Flash Flood Emergency for the area as the deluge continued, and many towns in the region reported blockbuster rainfall totals.HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHERMore than a foot of rain fell in Sandy Hook, which is part of Newtown, since Sunday morning.Newtown received just over 10 inches of rain on Sunday, but that doesn’t count the rain that fell Sunday afternoon and evening, so the total may rise.Shelton and Monroe received just under 10 inches of rain, while Middlebury received just over 9.5 inches.DOWNLOAD THE FREE FOX WEATHER APPSignificant damage from the widespread flash flooding led to the declaration of local states of emergency in the towns of Southbury and Naugatuck.Officials in Southbury said numerous roads in town were compromised by the flooding, and drivers were being urged to stay home until conditions improved.Dramatic videos from Southbury showed several vehicles stranded in the rapidly rising water near a shopping plaza while a firefighter tried desperately to unclog a storm drain.Another dramatic video from Southbury showed a stranded motorist and a dog being rescued after their vehicle became stranded in the rising water.Tania Carver captured the moment on video, which shows a man wading over to the car and helping to pull the driver and dog out. In the video, the driver was seen holding a prosthetic leg and then gesturing to his dog in the back seat.Naugatuck Mayor Pete Hess announced that he, too, declared a local state of emergency due to the flooding.”Just because the rain stopped for a little while, this doesn’t mean that you can go drive around,” Hess said in a Facebook post. “Many roads are closed. Other roads are impassible. Do not go out and drive.”A video shared from Naugatuck also showed vehicles attempting to drive through the flooding near a shopping plaza, while another video showed rushing water flowing down a hillside at a gas station on South Main Street.Travel has also been significantly impacted because of the flooding in Connecticut.Numerous roads remain closed because of the situation, and Metro-North Railroad announced that service has been suspended on the Waterbury Branch in both directions because of a mudslide near Seymour.Customers are being told to use the New Haven Line until service can be restored.The town of Oxford was also hard hit by the flooding, with several bridges and roads either destroyed by the rushing water or covered with rocks and other debris.”You know, dare I say, nobody was prepared for this,” FOX 61 Connecticut Reporter Brooke Griffin said on Monday. “You know, we knew it was going to rain. In fact, most of the state probably only thinks it did. But that is just not the case for this Naugatuck Valley area in Oxford in Southbury.”Griffin described the scene as “sheer devastation” as she stood in front of a washed-out bridge.Many local officials described seeing the Little River become a raging river over a matter of hours.”I don’t think our town is used to flash floods and, you know, a lot of people did the absolute wrong thing, which was try to drive through without knowing what was on the other side,” Oxford First Selectman George Campbell said. “Many of us who worked all day and night were struck by the power of the raging Little River. And, you know, you think a name like Little River wouldn’t be that bad.”The water has since started to recede, but Griffin said that she has been noticing more and more pavement falling away.A state of emergency was also declared in the city of Danbury in western Connecticut because of the flooding.Emergency crews responded to the Woodland Hills Complex on Shelter Rock Road, where a mudslide led to a gas leak and evacuations, according to the National Weather Service and city emergency management officials.Several roads in the city remain closed as water continues to recede and cleanup operations continue.Flooding that occurred on Sunday wasn’t only contained to Connecticut, however. New York City, too, was hit by flash flooding that covered roads across the city.Photos shared by the New York Police Department showed water covering a road in Central Park while drivers were being told to avoid water-covered streets.The intense rain and rapidly rising water also led forecasters with the NWS office in New York to issue a Flash Flood Emergency for portions of Long Island early Monday morning.Forecasters said between 4 and 6 inches of rain fell overnight and into Monday morning, and some areas were expected to pick up an additional 2-4 inches before the rain moved out.In addition, the NWS said rainfall rates were estimated to be between 2 and 3 inches per hour.The threat of more severe weather, including the potential for flooding, will continue across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic on Monday, including areas of New York and New England that were hit hard on Sunday.