Calm between the storms? The downtown stretch of the Saugatuck River, seen Monday morning, did not overtop its banks as downpours drenched the region late Sunday and overnight. Upper stretches of the river, however, did suffer flooding, including the river’s west branch where Wilton officials recommended evacuation of a neighborhood on Westport’s border. Rain is also in Monday’s forecast, with the threat of more flash flooding. / Contributed photos by Sal Liccione

WESTPORT — Downpours and thunderstorms wreaked havoc across the state Sunday, forcing water rescues and neighborhood evacuations in areas as close as the town’s border with Wilton, but Westport appears to have escaped the brunt of the storm.

In Wilton, Saugatuck River flooding after a reported 8 inches of rain late Sunday prompted emergency management officials to recommend evacuation on the western side of Newtown Turnpike, between Stonebridge Road in Wilton and Broad Street in Westport, according to a report by Good Morning Wilton.

Westport’s emergency management team, in a statement late Sunday, said the Fire Department has been assessing flooding reported around town throughout the day, “with particular attention to low-lying areas near the Saugatuck River.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and will promptly communicate any necessary precautions or actions to the public,” the statement said.

Downtown parking lots were largely free of water early Monday.

Heavy rainfall periodically throughout Sunday and early Monday caused local stream and brooks to overrun their banks, although no road closures or serious incidents had been reported as of 5 a.m. Monday.

More rain is in the forecast Monday, according to a “Hazardous Weather Outlook” issued by the National Weather Service, although precipitation is not expected to be as intense as earlier downpours. But flash flooding and thunderstorms are possible Monday afternoon.

Coastal flooding is possible Monday night and early Tuesday, the weather eervice warns in a “Coastal Flood Statement,” with “up to one-half foot of inundation above ground level expected in vulnerable areas near the waterfront and shoreline.”

Rainfall amounts reported to the NWS ranged from nearly 3 inches in Westport early Sunday afternoon to measures of between 7 and 10 inches in Redding and Monroe later in the day.

Skies will remain cloudy Monday, with a high temperature of about 80 degrees, according to the weather service.

While scattered power outages took place in Westport on Sunday, no local power disruptions were reported by Eversource as of 5 a.m. Monday.

Unsettled conditions are expected to clear Tuesday, with partly sunny skies and temperatures reaching a high in the mid-70s.

Cloudy skies pose a threat of more rain Monday.

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