Considerable Flooding From Connecticut River Disrupts Hartford County

HARTFORD COUNTY, CT — Devastating historic floodwaters which have damaged thousands of homes, businesses and roads in Vermont have made their way down the Connecticut River through Massachusetts and extended into Long Island Sound, causing the river to overflow its banks in many Hartford County towns and disrupting traffic patterns in numerous area communities.

A quick drive Thursday morning, covering the east side of the river from Enfield to Glastonbury and back north up the west side from Hartford to Suffield, yielded countless partial road closures and flooded farms and yards. Considerable debris was seen floating in the waters, from trees and branches to road signs and lawn furniture.

According to the website rainfall.willyweather.com, June contained 15 wet days out of 30 in Hartford County, or 50 percent. Through July 13, the current month had experienced five wet days, or 38 percent. About 4.7 inches have fallen in the area this month, with 2.4 inches dropping on Independence Day.

Several area police departments have issued advisories, telling motorists to use common sense when driving and not venture into areas where water has collected. "People often underestimate the force of floodwaters and think they can drive through the areas," the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security said in a cautionary post.

Here is a look at some Hartford County scenes from Thursday morning.