Heavy Rains Cause Flooded Roads,

Watery Basements

By Andrew Gorosko

Last weekend’s heavy rainfall caused flooding on several local roads and resulted in firefighters responding to pump out a number of residential basements that had flooded.

On Sunday afternoon, the heavy rains caused flooding on a section of Castle Hill Road in the area between its intersections with King Street and West Street, according to Public Works Director Fred Hurley. Water depths there were approximately one foot, he said.

Town road crews posted “Flood Area” signs there to warn motorists of travel problems in that area until the water subsided, Mr Hurley said.

Also, the central section of Key Rock Road, which is located near a swamp, became flooded after the heavy rains, Mr Hurley said. Similarly, warning signs were posted there until the waters receded.

The town is planning a construction project to physically raise that flood-prone section of Key Rock Road, Mr Hurley said. Key Rock Road links Sugar Street to Hattertown Road and Poverty Hollow Road.

A section of Hopewell Road was under water for a time due to the heavy rains, Mr Hurley said. Hopewell Road is a side street that extends from Poverty Hollow Road into Redding.

The town closed Hopewell Road for most of Sunday, he said. It was reopened on Monday morning.

Water from an adjacent stream rose and covered the roadway. Approximately 2,000 feet of that road was closed to traffic in Newtown, he said. Water depths over the road were approximately one to two feet, he said.

Due to the continuing heavy rainfall, a large area of stone rip-rap facing on a steep slope along Echo Valley Road destabilized and slid several feet downslope. The stone-faced slope is on Echo Valley Road between its intersections with Hanover Road and Old Farm Hill Road.

Stormwater runoff running from the top of that slope downward cut a pronounced channel in the steeply graded rockface. Rip-rap consists of broken stones thrown together irregularly or loosely to stabilize a slope.

The town will be repairing the rip-rap slope, as needed, to prevent rock slippage onto the adjacent street, Mr Mr Hurley said.

Mr Hurley said he knew of no injuries stemming from the heavy rains.

Besides flooding problems, utility lines came down on Taunton Lake Road after a tree fell there. Also, a tree fell on West Street.

Mr Hurley said the weekend rains were among the heaviest rainfall that the experienced during the past five years.

“It rained heavily for a long time,” Mr Hurley said. But, “We needed water desperately. We were due,” he added.

After the heavy rains, as basements took on water, local volunteer fire companies responded to calls for help from residents seeking to have their flooded basements pumped out.

Staring on Sunday and continuing to Tuesday, fire companies went on pumping details on Walnut Tree Hill Road, Arrowhead Lane, Mile Hill Road South, Marlin Road, and Knollwood Drive.