By Ken Valenti

WESTPORT–For the most part, town life returned to normal today following yesterday’s flash flooding, but one exception to that is the Jesup Road bridge.

The short span that serves as one link from Imperial Avenue to The Westport Library, town police headquarters and the Levitt Pavilion was “severely damaged,” said Director of Public Works Larry Roberts. Jesup Road is closed from Imperial Avenue to Bay Street.

“I do not believe this will be repairable and will likely require a full span replacement,” Roberts said, adding that it could take a year to 18 months to open up the road. Several other bridges sustained minor damage and did not need to be closed, he said.

During the rains, which dumped 7.3 inches on Westport by a public works rain gauge at Town Hall, fire, police and public works crews responded to emergency calls. First responders rescued 13 people trapped in their vehicles by the flood waters, said Deputy Fire Chief Matthew Cohen. Other residents, maybe 15 to 20, were rescued from homes. No residents forced from their homes requested shelter, he said. They either were able to return homes or stay with neighbors or family, he said.

One firefighter suffered a minor injury responding to the emergency, Cohen said. But that was the only injury reported among responders and residents, he said. The flood, however, was a reminder of the unexpected dangers floods bring, he said. Even water that looks like it would be easy to wade through can be moving more powerfully and contain more debris than is visible.

“People can get overwhelmed very quickly,” he said.

After the storm, public works crews pivoted to cleanup.

“Once the rains subsided, our crews worked on clearing storm drains to allow for the flood waters to drain,” Roberts said. “Barricades were erected in areas where roadways were compromised.”

Two sanitary sewer pump stations suffered damage and one was temporarily off-line. Public works crews worked with town vendors to get everything back online, Roberts said. Town engineers continue to inspect bridges and roads today for any damage, Roberts said.

From yesterday morning through about noon today, the fire department fielded some 120 calls, Cohen said.

“For the most part, things have calmed down,” Cohen said early this afternoon, although a few calls still were coming in from people reporting electrical issues, such as equipment that was shorting out after being submerged, among other matters.

About 2 p.m., Eversource reported on its website that 13 of its 12,836 Westport customers were impacted by outages. Two hours later, that number was down to “fewer than five” according to the website.

Earthplace is closed today – classes, programs and trails – for building maintenance and to recover from the storm, the educational environmental center announced on social media.

Residents should continue to remain cautious and avoid areas that may still be hazardous.

Westport emergency responders handled 130 flood-related calls–Cohen says they are still trickling in–and evacuated five residents from a care facility. Town officials continue working to document the extent of the damage to residences, businesses and public infrastructure throughout the community.

“We recognize the disruption and damage this event has caused and sincerely thank Westport residents and businesses for their patience, cooperation and understanding,” said First Selectman Kevin Christie. “We are incredibly grateful to our first responders, Public Works crews, emergency dispatchers, utility workers, volunteers and everyone who worked tirelessly to protect our community and begin the recovery process.”

The town also provided a method for Westporters to report flood-related damage and unmet needs through the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) Damage Self Report. The information will help state and local emergency management officials document the extent of the damage and determine whether Connecticut may be eligible for post-disaster programs through the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or the Small Business Administration (SBA).

Officials noted that submitting the survey is not a claim or request for assistance and does not guarantee that disaster relief or other recovery assistance will be available.

If your home or property was impacted by yesterday’s flooding, please complete this survey. Residents should also report property damage to their insurance company.