One person has been reported missing in Connecticut after catastrophic flooding ripped apart and destroyed roads and trapped terrified residents as torrents of rushing water quickly rose and cut off escape routes.
Connecticut State Police said initially there were reports that two people were missing in the town of Oxford amid the flash flooding, but revised that number to one on Monday morning.
The dangerous situation began to unfold earlier in the day on 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.
The towns of Shelton and Newtown both picked up about 10 inches of rain on Sunday, while Monroe was just under that and reported receiving 9.98 inches.
Middlebury picked up just over 9.5 inches and Naugatuck received just over 8 inches of rain.
Local states of emergency declared in Connecticut
Significant damage from the widespread flash flooding led to local states of emergency being declared in the towns of Southbury and Naugatuck.
Officials in Southbury said numerous roads in town were compromised due to the flooding conditions, and drivers were being urged to stay home until conditions improved.
Dramatic videos from Southbury showed several vehicles stranded in the rapidly rising water close to a shopping plaza while a firefighter tried desperately to unclog a storm drain.
Naugatuck Mayor Pete Hess announced that he, too, declared a local state of emergency because of 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.
Mudslides, gas leak leads to evacuation in Danbury
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 NWS and city emergency management officials.
Several roads in the city remain closed as water continues to recede and cleanup operations continue.
New York City hit with flooding, too
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 4-6 inches of rain fell overnight 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 2-3 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.
