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Floodwaters that turned parts of Westport into extensions of the Saugatuck River on Monday have subsided. But more rain is in the forecast this week, bringing worries of more flooding.
Though it's not certain whether flooding will strike again, Deputy Fire Chief Jonathan Gottfried said it's a possibility, as the ground is already saturated. Nevertheless, he said his department is ready.
"Based on the general outlook, we're not biting our nails over it. Flooding isn't something new to Westport," Gottfried said. "We've dealt with it many times over the years, and we make adjustments to what we have to do."
This includes the use of proper equipment. On Monday, Woods Grove Road, Ford Road and a portion of Canal Street were closed after the Saugatuck River overflowed. Flooding on Woods Grove Road was so severe that three residents were evacuated from their homes. And to get to those people, firefighters used the department's High Water Rescue truck to traverse the waters that completely covered the road.
Despite the problems Monday's flooding caused to the unlucky homeowners, drivers and workers at Bridgewater Associates, which was inundated by floodwater, Gottfried said it's not the worst he's seen in Westport.
"Back in December of 1995, we had had some pretty significant flooding all over town. A number of businesses downtown were flooded, and we had to shut off power to that area because of it," said Gottfried, who has worked in Westport for about 35 years. "All the areas affected [Monday] were hit, the whole Bradley Street area was inundated, Saugatuck Shores was affected. It was probably the worst one I'd seen since I've been here. We also saw some major flooding from Hurricane Gloria."
The National Weather Service is forecasting rain all day Thursday into Friday morning. About 2 to 4 inches of rain is expected. A flood watch for southern Fairfield County is in effect from Thursday morning to Friday morning.
You can read more
To see how neighboring towns are dealing with the wild weather, click on the headlines below:
More Rain Could Mean Big Headaches for Norwalk
Stamford Prepares for Possible Flooding
Did Darien Luck Out on Snow-Melt Flooding?
Byram River Poses Flood Danger for Greenwich
New Canaan Braces for Upcoming Rain
Weston Grows Weary of Snow, Rain
?Do you live in a flood zone? How do you prepare for possible flooding? Share with us below!
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