Westport Fire Crews Respond To Over 40 Calls During, After Storm

WESTPORT, CT — As the state continues to dry off from the remnants of Hurricane Ida, which blew through Wednesday, town officials said Westport will be feeling the effects of the flooding and "historic rainfalls" caused by the storm for some time.

In a news release Thursday afternoon, Deputy Fire Chief Michael Kronick said the storm hit Westport around 8 p.m., dropping upwards of 1-2 inches of rain per hour across the town for a few hours.

"This resulted in a very busy night and early morning for firefighters responding to calls for assistance as the storm swept through," Kronick said in a news release.

According to Kronick, firefighters responded to over 40 calls between 9 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. Thursday, including reports of stranded motorists requiring rescue after being trapped in their vehicles due to swiftly rising water levels, flooded homes, downed power lines, burning power poles, transformer explosions, home electrical issues and other hazardous conditions.

"Although the storm has exited our area," Kronick said, "we will be feeling the effects of the flooding for some time."

Kronick noted many roads were closed during the storm due to flooding or downed trees.

Police Lt. David Wolf said all roads in town, with the exception of a few side streets, were open as of 1 p.m. Thursday. He also noted the town fared well overall during the storm.

Kronick urged residents to use extreme caution while surveying any damage around their property or neighborhood after the storm.

"Stay away from any power lines and downed trees," Kronick said.

He also offered the following safety tips for residents:

• Stay well clear of downed power lines: 25 feet at least.
• Be vigilant about downed trees and tree limbs hung up overhead.
• Listen to updates on the media and radio.
• Make sure your house can be found quickly – number at the end of the driveway.
• Check on your neighbors because teamwork equals success.
• Do not drive through flooded areas.