As work continues around Newtown and the region following what may be historic rain storms yesterday, Newtown Parks & Recreation has announced the closure of parks and the Town’s beach-marina.

Treadwell Pool is closed for at least today, according to a notice issued Monday morning.

Eichler’s Cove Beach and Marina will remain closed until further notice. Boat slip owners will receive a detailed email with specific instructions, according to the notice.

Residents are asked to refrain from attempting to access Eichler’s Cove.

Due to damage from the recent natural disaster, all Town parks have been affected.

“If you encounter a closed gate, please do not attempt to enter the park. For your safety, we urge you to exercise caution and avoid swimming in streams or entering any bodies of water,” the statement concludes.

Heavy rains moved into the area by late morning Sunday, August 18, and continued to soak the region.

Many roads quickly became impassable due to flooding and/or debris causing damage. First responders and Town officials were inundated with calls for help once homes and buildings became flooded.

Additionally, vehicles began getting stuck on roads after operators drove into water that was deeper than they realized.

By late Sunday afternoon, First Selectman Jeff Capeci declared a State of Emergency for Newtown due to continued flooding and sewer capacity issues. That declaration, he said the following afternoon, will allow the Town to secure state and federal aid. Capeci has been in touch, he said, with Governor Ned Lamont, State Representative Mitch Bolinsky and State Senator Tony Hwang, “who are mobilizing state resources to assist us.”

Newtown Emergency Communications Center Director Maureen Will issued multiple CodeRED announcements on Sunday, warning recipients of the dangers of the rain and subsequent flooding. Will repeatedly asked people to remain at home or where they were, and to not drive into any standing water.

Those calling dispatch for help with flooding within their homes were cautioned that first responders would be dispatched to those locations only in the event of a life emergency.

As was noted on the Newtown PD Facebook page, “We only have resources for true emergency calls.”

One family did have a very close call on Sunday. Multiple agencies were sent to a home on South Main Street after a man became trapped in the basement there. The man was reportedly caught in up to six feet of water before first responders were able to rescue him.

Road Closures Continue

As of Monday morning, no fatalities or serious injuries had been reported.

At daybreak, multiple vehicles were still being fished out of streams, including a series of vehicles that had been washed to the north of South Main Street/Route 25 opposite Bryan Lane by the surging Pootatuck River.

An employee of Modzelewski’s Recovery & Repair told The Newtown Bee that by 8 am Monday, various Modzelewski’s crews working in Newtown, Southbury, Oxford, Redding and Weston had done “at least 100” vehicle rescues since the previous afternoon.

Sections of some Town and State roads remain closed as of midday Monday. Sections of Bennetts Bridge, Lakeview Terrace and Zoar Road, all in Sandy Hook, had been washed out, along with a section of Pond Brook Road in the Hawleyville section of town, among others.

Berkshire Road/Route 34 remains closed from its intersection with Jordan Hill Road to the Monroe town line due to “severe washouts,” the first selectman said Monday. The southern side of the nearly one-mile stretch, which carries eastbound traffic, is reportedly very compromised. Local traffic is the only traffic being allowed in that area, according to the first selectman.

As of noon Monday, in fact, 36 locations had been recognized as suffering “severe damage,” Capeci said in his announcement. South Main Street near Bryan Lane, which had been closed for nearly 20 hours, had reopened.

“In four areas, residents are cut off, and Public Works is working on restoring their access to main roads,” the first selectman said.

“Making all roads passable again will take several days to weeks,” Capeci cautioned. “As damage is evaluated and we are better able to forecast repairs I will update you,” he promised.

Capeci is asking residents to allow Public Works and other Town employees to do their work undisturbed. They will be out, “assessing or repairing damage,” he said. “They are working long hours to make Newtown drivable again and deserve your patience.”

Just over the town line, Roosevelt Drive/Route 34 at the Stevenson Dam has been completely washed out. The road there will remain closed “until further notice,” Newtown Police Department said on its Facebook page Monday morning.

Newtown remains under a National Weather Service Flood Warning until “late this afternoon,” the weather service noted at noon.

In closing his message on Monday, Capeci urged residents to check in on friends and family, “especially the elderly, to ensure their well-being.”

Recovery will take time, he said, “but we are committed to getting through this together.”

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Managing Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.