Water rescues underway in Connecticut after flash flooding causes mudslides, washes out roads

Significant rainfall totals nearing a foot across southwestern Connecticut caused the National Weather Service to issue a Flash Flood Emergency on Sunday as law enforcement worked multiple water rescues across the region.Thunderstorms producing heavy rainfall continued to move across Fairfield and New Haven counties on Sunday afternoon, dropping between 6 and 10 inches of rain with at least an additional inch forecast to fall. The National Weather Service in New York issued a Flash Flood Emergency for these communities, warning the situation was particularly dangerous and “widespread water rescues are taking place” with rainfall rates between 1 and 2 inches per hour.A Flash Flood Warning continues through Sunday for southern Connecticut. Flash Flood Warnings are also in place for northeast New Jersey and southeast New York through Sunday night.Significant flash flooding washed out roads and caused vehicles to become stuck in cities such as Stamford, Danbury and Southbury.In Danbury, emergency and utility crews responded to the Woodland Hills Complex on Shelter Rock Road, where a mudslide caused a gas leak and evacuations, according to the NWS and Danbury Emergency Management.Video showed drivers attempting to travel through headlight-deep water near a Southbury Plaza shopping center in Southbury. Another video in Southbury showed rushing water from a brook overrunning Flat Hill Road. Drivers had reportedly been able to drive across the road less than a half-hour prior, according to the photographer. Local officials are asking drivers to stay off the roads. “Due to the continuing rain, we are experiencing flooding all over the roadways in the city. We are in the process of barricading these locations and we urge everyone to stay home,” officials with the Samford Police Department said. “Please do not drive through the flood waters as it is hard to determine how deep the water is, manhole covers are becoming displaced, and cars are continuing to get stuck in the water.”The heavy rainfall is expected to come to an end by late Sunday evening.