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Heavy rain has flooded roads, knocked out power to thousands, and prompted a flash flood warning and tornado watch across parts of Connecticut as strong thunderstorms swept through the region Tuesday, July 21.
The National Weather Service issued the flash flood warning for Fairfield County and western New Haven County. A tornado watch remains in effect for Fairfield, New Haven, and Litchfield counties until 9 p.m. Tuesday. Middlesex County remains under a flood advisory.
Click here to see updated weather alerts across the state.
Cars Submerged As Flooding Worsens
Forecasters said between 1 and 2 inches of rain had already fallen across southern Fairfield County, with up to 4 inches expected by the end of the event as downpours continue through the afternoon. The National Weather Service said rainfall rates could reach between 1 and 2.5 inches per hour.
Flooding was reported across Fairfield and New Haven counties as of 3 p.m.
Photos from Norwalk, Shelton, Bridgeport, and other communities show standing water several feet deep in places.
Police posted on social media urging residents in flood-affected areas to stay off the roads unless necessary and to never drive through flooded roadways. Officials also urged residents to monitor weather alerts and the Connecticut Department of Transportation's social media accounts for updates.
More Thunderstorms Expected
The National Weather Service also warned that "multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms" were expected through Tuesday afternoon and into the night.
Heavy rain moved into southwestern Connecticut Tuesday afternoon. The National Weather Service's New York office said the greatest threat for severe weather was expected during the afternoon and evening.
Thousands Without Power
More than 3,500 customers were without power across Connecticut as of 3 p.m., according to Eversource. Most of those outages were in Fairfield County. United Illuminating reported about 1,300 outages at the same time.
More heavy rain and strong thunderstorms are expected to continue through the evening, raising the risk of additional flooding and power outages.
Electric companies said they had crews working to restore power, but the storm continues to hinder those efforts.
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