Rell Activates National Guard to Help With Flood Control

Governor M. Jodi Rell has activated 150 Connecticut National Guard troops to assist towns and cities in eastern Connecticut with flood control efforts as streams and rivers continue to rise and crest over their banks.

At high tide in Westport around 1 p.m. today, the Saugatuck River swelled to just below the Ruth Steinkraus Cohen Memorial Bridge. Portions of the river were flowing into parking lots on Riverside Avenue but that was due to the tidal influence, said Public Works Director Steve Edwards. The town has experienced minor to moderate flooding thus far.

First Selectman Gordon Joseloff said Westport has not requested National Guard assistance. Joseloff said Lt. Gov. Mike Fedele called him Monday to offer sandbags or any other help with flood control.

"I told him none was needed at the moment and we would get back to him and state officials if the situation changed," Joseloff said in an e-mail Tuesday afternoon. "But more rain is to come and keeping fingers crossed."

Edwards said high tide between midnight and 1 a.m. Wednesday could be a bit "dicey" in the areas of Saugatuck Shores and along Riverside Avenue.

Responding to storms can be frustrating, Edwards said, "because for the most part when dealing with Mother Nature, during the storm is not when you can do anything. It's immediatley before or immediately after."

For the most part, Westport is faring fine, Edwards said Tuesday afternoon. The Public Works Department did get a few calls from residents about sewage backups. Edwards said a partial blockage is reported in the area of South Compo. Crews were working Tuesday to fix the blockage and assess any damage, he said.

On the governor's orders, the Department of Public Safety is working to reassign all available troopers to eastern Connecticut to assist with road closures and other emergencies as they arise. In a news release issued Tuesday, Rell said her declaration for a state of emergency that was put in place in the wake of the March 13-14 nor'easter remains in effect.

"The relentless rain has created extremely dangerous situations, especially in eastern Connecticut," Rell said. "National Guard troops and state police will help local officials with sandbagging and will be at the ready to assist with evacuations should they be necessary.

"We are experiencing record rainfall and high-water levels in rivers and streams around Connecticut. Streets and basements are flooding and sewage treatment systems cannot keep up with the excess water. Those problems will likely persist for several days until the rains stop and water recedes," Rell said.

One-hundred National Guard troops will be stationed out of the Norwich armory and 50 will be activated and stationed at Camp Rell in Niantic so that they are ready at a moment's notice to help. The governor has asked the Guard to begin moving water rescue equipment to southeastern Connecticut. Rell has also put the state's Urban Search and Rescue Team on standby.

A Coast Guard rescue helicopter and the Connecticut State Police's Trooper One helicopter are also standing by.

The Governor said the state has a stockpile of 180,000 sandbags and directed the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security to secure 300,000 more today.

Under the governor's direction, the state's Emergency Operations Center at the O'Neill Armory inHartford opened at 4 a.m. this morning and will remain open indefinitely. Several state agencies, including the Departments of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, have been monitoring the situation throughout the day, offering state assistance to local towns and cities.