Parts of southwestern Connecticut experienced severe flooding due to heavy rainfall, with some areas receiving up to 10 inches of rain. Sadly, one person was reported dead as a result of the flooding. Scott Pellitier, the fire chief in Oxford, confirmed that a woman’s body was recovered after disappearing during the storm on Sunday. Rescue crews were also actively searching for another woman who was swept away while firefighters attempted to save her.
In response to the flooding, firefighters in Oxford used an aerial ladder to rescue over a dozen people from a local restaurant. National Weather Service meteorologist James Tomasini reported that the storms led to significant rainfall in parts of Connecticut. Additionally, a second round of heavy rain impacted Suffolk County on Long Island, New York overnight.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for areas in Fairfield, New Haven, Litchfield, and Hartford counties in Connecticut, according to the state’s emergency management services as shared on the social platform X. Weather officials clarified that the flooding in Connecticut was not directly linked to Hurricane Ernesto, which at the time was located over the Atlantic Ocean. Despite its distance, Ernesto was still predicted to generate strong swells, dangerous surf, and rip currents along the East Coast of the United States.
