Drivers rescued from flooded roads in Connecticut after rain slams area
WESTPORT, Connecticut (WABC) -- There is a lot of cleaning up to do on Monday in Connecticut after flash floods slammed parts of the area over the weekend.
The coastal stretch from Norwalk to Westport was among the most impacted in the state, receiving 6 to 7 inches of rain Sunday morning, with rainfall rates reaching 3 to 4 inches per hour.
In Westport, emergency responders conducted 13 rescues of people trapped in vehicles by floodwaters, according to the fire department. Photos and videos shared on social media showed downtown businesses inundated.
"Even as the rain subsides, standing water and other hazards may remain," the department cautioned on Facebook. "Residents should continue to avoid flooded roads, never drive around barricades, and give emergency crews room to work."
Westport Fire Department Chief Nick Marsan said they anticipate the recovery period to go well into the next several days.
"It's something that none of us were able to anticipate, we knew the cell was coming through, but it just happened to stall right over lower Fairfield County," Marsan said.
In Bridgeport, the fire department said in a social media post it answered "call after call" on Sunday, including deploying boats "to rescue residents from flooded areas and bring them to safety."
Photos shared by the department showed residents being helped into a boat from the door of a house, with rescuers standing in knee-deep water outside.
Officials are reminding drivers that when flash floods hit, they should avoid flooded roadways and not attempt to drive through standing water.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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