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Heavy rainfall in the Northeast has led to dangerous flooding in Connecticut and New York, resulting in the evacuation of at least 100 people and the confirmed deaths of two individuals. The two deceased were found in the town of Oxford, Connecticut, according to Fire Chief Scott Pelletier. The town is located about 15 miles northwest of New Haven. The National Weather Service reported "widespread flooding and water rescues" on Sunday, with a flash flood emergency issued for several cities, including Waterbury, Danbury, and Fairfield. This was later downgraded to a flood warning, which remained in effect until Monday morning.
First responders rescued 19 people and a dog from an Oxford restaurant and a nearby apartment on Sunday night, according to Jeremy Rodorigo, Beacon Falls emergency management director. The Brookside Inn was surrounded by rushing water with about 18 people inside.
"We were concerned that the restaurant was compromised and was going to get washed away," Rodorigo told CNN.
Southwestern Connecticut experienced 6 to 10 inches of rainfall in about six to nine hours on Sunday, according to David Stark of the National Weather Service in New York. Monroe, Connecticut, received 9.98 inches of rain, a one-in-200-year event for the city. Additional rain is expected across the Northeast on Monday afternoon, with a level 2 out of 4 risk of excessive rainfall in place for parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York state. About 1-2 inches of accumulated rain are expected in the region, with some areas expecting up to 3 inches.
In New York, nearly one million people in the Suffolk County area were under a flash flood emergency early Monday, the weather service in New York City said. About 2 to 4 inches of rain had fallen, with an additional 1 to 2 inches possible, the weather service said, warning of “flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas.”