Mayor Cautions Motorists In Wake Of Extensive Flooding

EAST HAVEN, CT — Update: Shortly after this story was published, at the mayor's request, the state closed roadways under water.

Original story:

In an Everbridge alert, East Haven Mayor Joseph A. Carfora is advising motorists as flooding will likely get a bit worse before it gets better.

"Rain continues to fall, and the tide is astronomically high but beginning to crest and will be receding. Please avoid standing water and do not drive through it, especially in the flood prone areas on Hemingway Avenue and Short Beach Road," Carfora noted. "If you lose power and use a generator, make sure it is properly connected and far away from your home."

Carfora said he and town public safety officials will "continue to monitor the storm and update" folks as necessary.

Carfora is also calling for the state to "step in and close dangerously flooded state roads in the town" to include Routes 142 and 114, known to residents as Coe and Hemingway avenues and Short Beach Road.

"This is a serious safety situation, we need these roads closed immediately," Carfora said.

In a story Patch did in October on the impacts to the town based on the proposed expansion to HVN, one issue that was raised had to do with flooding in roadways leading into the airport. Patch asked Carfora about that Friday.

"Look, today's immediate issue is the safety of our citizens. But with respect to the impact from Tweed, we have been telling (now former Tweed Executive Director) Sean Scanlon, the Tweed New Haven Airport Authority, the state of Connecticut and the Federal Aviation Administration about this intersection since the beginning of my administration," Carfora told Patch. "There is absolutely no way this can be the only ingress and egress to an airport."

Carfora is referring to the Coe and Hemingway avenues and Short Beach Road intersection.