The tri-state region has been rocked by severe floods that claim two lives and leave a trail of destruction

Flooding from the heavy rains is blamed for the deaths of two women, major damage to roads and other infrastructure, and substantial residential and vehicle flooding over the weekend and Monday in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.

Connecticut State Police reported that two women, in separate cases, were “swept away from their vehicles” by floodwaters in the town of Oxford, Connecticut. Police said Ethelyn Joiner and Audrey Rostkowski were found dead.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued flash flood warnings for parts of New Haven, Fairfield, Litchfield and Hartford counties in Connecticut and Suffolk County in New York.

The NWS and state residents reported washed-out roads, damaged bridges, mudslides, power outages and water rescue operations.

Emergency in Connecticut

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont declared a state of emergency Monday in response to significant flooding that he said caused extensive road damage.

“Severe flash flooding has caused significant damage to infrastructure in the western part of the state, leading to evacuations, rescues and more than two dozen road closures that we anticipate will need to be closed for an extended period,” Lamont said.

The city of Oxford was hit hard. Fire Chief Scott Pelletier said at least 100 were evacuated by rescuers. Also in Oxford, floodwaters stranded several motorists on Oxford Road near the Brookside Inn. People in a nearby house and restaurant had to be rescued.

At least 40 campers were trapped at Kettletown State Park in Shelton after they walked and road bridges were washed away. State officials said they were rescued.

Several docks and boats were also pulled from shore and floated down the river to Housatonic Lake.

Data from the NWS of rainfall totals from Saturday night to Monday morning showed Sandy Hook getting more than 12 inches, Newtown, Monroe and Shelton around 10 inches and Middlebury 9.5 inches. Water rescues were performed for several stranded motorists in Monroe.

In Stamford, the NWS reported there were multiple road closures and fire department water rescues for most of Sunday.

There were several road closures in Ridgefield, where the water was three feet deep in some spots.

A mudslide in Danbury caused a major gas leak and evacuations in the Woodland Hills Complex.

There was “substantial river flooding” along the Five Mile River in New Canaan, where several roads were closed in the city due to debris or flooding, according to the NWS.

The NWS said emergency management reported water rescues, multiple mudslides, numerous washed-out roads and bridges, and swollen rivers from central Fairfield County to northern New Haven County. In addition, officials are assessing the integrity of several dams in the area.

new york

The NWS has also issued flash flood warnings for Suffolk County in New York. The service reported numerous road closures, including parts of the Long Island Expressway due to flooding.

On Monday, Suffolk County declared a state of emergency. “We are shocked at the amount of damage in Suffolk County,” Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said at a news conference. “The rain caused major flooding, mudslides, buried cars and damaged homes.”

New York data from the NWS of rainfall totals from Saturday night into Monday morning showed Port Jefferson, Stony Brook, Centereach and Setauket receiving more than 9 inches of rain.

There were reports of residential rescues in Commack, Smithtown, St James, Centereach, Setauket, Selden, Coram, Port Jefferson and Rocky Point, as well as a number of stranded motorists.

Meanwhile, New York City officials have encouraged residents and visitors to take appropriate precautions as wildfire smoke from Canada affects air quality in the Upper Hudson Valley and Adirondack regions. Air quality is expected to be affected through August 16.

New Jersey

In New Jersey, the NWS has issued a flash flood warning for Sunday for the I-95 corridor and areas north and west in the Lehigh Valley and Berks County, along with the expectation of localized heavy rain. On Monday, the NWS warned coastal residents to expect a half-foot of flooding above ground level in vulnerable nearshore and coastal areas in Hudson, Eastern Essex and Eastern Union counties.

The Seton Hall University campus in South Orange experienced some flooding, as did areas in East Rutherford and Passaic, where numerous cars became stuck in water near the train trestle.

There were dozens of reports of road closures, including parts of the Garden State Parkway, and downed trees throughout the coastal region.

Philadelphia’s Frankford Creek rose from 1.71 feet to 7.56 feet, cresting nearly 8.5 feet just after 2 a.m.

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Flood