Marking the 13-Year Anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene

Tropical Storm Irene hit the region 13 years ago today, and it will long be remembered by residents of southwestern Connecticut for the number of lives it affected. According to Mitch Gross, a spokesman for Connecticut Light and Power, more than 700,000 customers were without power Sunday, August 28, 2011, easily breaking the previous record of 480,000 following Hurricane Gloria in September of 1985. In fact, 98% of Redding and 89% of Weston households were without power on Monday, August 29, 2011.

The shoreline was hit the hardest, especially during the storm surge during the time of high tide late Sunday morning, August 28. Several homes collapsed along the beach in Fairfield, and many residents had to be evacuated due to the flooding. There were 35 streets which were under mandatory evacuation. This is an outstanding time lapse taken during Tropical Storm Irene. Ralph Fato installed a camera by the water in New Rochelle, NY. The camera was 15 feet higher than the bottom of the pond. You will be amazed at this video.

Ralph sent the following photos of Cove Island Park in Stamford, where the water level was 15 feet above normal. The beach is actually a quarter-mile away. The center of the storm passed through southwestern Connecticut late Sunday morning, August 28, just about the time of high tide, which was 11:10 a.m. in Bridgeport. To make matters worse, tides were astronomically high due to the new Moon. The beach is actually a quarter-mile away.

Although the storm's effects would be felt for quite some time, it could have been much worse. The highest wind gust reported in the region was 63 miles an hour at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford just before daybreak. The highest wind speed was 46 miles an hour, and the average wind speed was 24.9 miles an hour. Fortunately, winds never reached hurricane force, but that certainly was little consequence to the thousands of people who were without power or who suffered damage from Irene.

Rainfall totals ranged from just over three inches to more than a half-foot in Northern Fairfield County. Officially, the Sikorsky Airport set a record of 2.50 inches, bringing the two-day storm total to 3.35 inches. That's not far from the monthly average of 3.75 inches. Here are four more photos from Ralph taken at Cove Island Park.

Thus far this year, the Atlantic tropical season has been fairly quiet. However, that was not the case 13 years ago today.

Paul

Historic One-Day Flooding Across Parts of Southwestern Connecticut

A historic deluge delivered more than one foot of rain to parts of southwestern Connecticut Sunday during a heavy rain storm which destroyed many homes, businesses, and roads.

Oxford reported 14.83" of rain, breaking the previous 24-hour rainfall record in Connecticut of 12.77" at Burlington during Hurricane Diane on August 19, 1955. Here are the official rain totals from across the region, including Fairfield and New Haven counties, from the National Weather Service:

Oxford was the hardest hit municipality. Two women lost their lives when they were swept away by the raging floodwaters. The photo below shows the flooding along Oxford Road.

Ironically, the storm happened on the 69th anniversary of The Great Flood of 1955 during Hurricane Diane. The video below shows the incredible rescue of people from the Brookside Inn on Oxford Road. Read the complete story by clicking here.

This home on East Hill Road in Oxford was completely washed into the Five Mile Brook.

Paul

Connie & Diane Battered Connecticut 69 Years Ago This Month

Long-time area residents will never forget August of 1955 when two of the most memorable hurricanes --- Connie and Diane --- battered the Northeast. Hurricane Connie soaked New England with torrential rains on August 13, 1955. Then, just five days later, Tropical Storm Diane followed suit creating massive flooding not seen since the 1930s. Take a look at the front page of The Bridgeport Telegram from August 20, 1955.

 

The combination of Connie and Diane yielded rainfall totals close to 25 inches in some areas, resulting in unprecedented flooding. Nearly all of the major rivers in the lower Connecticut Valley exceeded flood stage. Some rivers rose more than 20 feet over their banks. Read the Valley News archive of daily weather events from August of 1955 to gain a better understanding of the power of those two August hurricanes!

While the two hurricanes affected the entire Atlantic coast, Connecticut suffered the most damage. For example, of the 180 lives that were lost, 77 were in Connecticut. Of the 680 million dollars in property damage, over 350 million dollars occurred in Connecticut. Over 200 dams in New England suffered partial to total failure. Many of these were in the area immediately south of Worcester, in the Thames and Blackstone headwaters. Here is a photo of Winsted, Connecticut, virtually devastated following the flood.

   

If August was not bad enough, two months later, a four day storm dumped an additional 12-14 inches of rain in southwestern New England. This event was not as widespread as the August storms, but record flood levels were achieved in some locations of the Housatonic and Hudson River basins.

Paul

Hurricane Connie Struck Coastal Connecticut 69 Years Ago Today

Many long-time area residents will never forget the deluge which happened 69 years ago today. Hurricane Connie brought nearly four inches (3.92") of rain to the region on Friday, August 12, 1955. Take a look at the front page of The Bridgeport Telegram from Saturday, August 13, 1955.

August of 1955 will be remembered for two of the most memorable hurricanes --- Connie and Diane --- which battered the Northeast. Hurricane Connie soaked New England with torrential rains on August 12 and 13, 1955. Then, just five days later, Tropical Storm Diane followed suit creating massive flooding not seen since the 1930s. Take a look at the front page of The Bridgeport Telegram from Saturday, August 20, 1955.




The combination of Connie and Diane yielded rainfall totals close to 25 inches in some areas, resulting in unprecedented flooding. Nearly all of the major rivers in the lower Connecticut Valley exceeded flood stage. Some rivers rose more than 20 feet over their banks. Read the Valley News archive of daily weather events from August of 1955 to gain a better understanding of the power of those two August hurricanes!

While the two hurricanes affected the entire Atlantic coast, Connecticut suffered the most damage. For example, of the 180 lives that were lost, 77 were in Connecticut. Of the 680 million dollars in property damage, over 350 million dollars occurred in Connecticut. Over 200 dams in New England suffered partial to total failure. Many of these were in the area immediately south of Worcester, in the Thames and Blackstone headwaters. Here is a photo of Winsted, Connecticut, virtually devastated following the flood.



If August was not bad enough, two months later, a four day storm dumped an additional 12-14 inches of rain in southwestern New England. This event was not as widespread as the August storms, but record flood levels were achieved in some locations of the Housatonic and Hudson River basins. The tropical season has been fairly quiet thus far, but things usually stir in late August and September. Tropical Storm Irene (2011) and Hurricane Gloria (1985) are two recent examples.

Paul

"Dog Days of Summer" Officially End Today

The Dog Days of Summer officially come to an end today. In case you’re wondering, the "dog days" last for 40 days, from July 3 to August 11. They are directly related to the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius, in the constellation Canis Major, or the big dog. Sirius is known as the Dog Star, and we see it clearly illuminating the night sky from early Autumn through early Spring.

However, during this time of the year, Sirius rises and sets with the Sun. During late July, Sirius is in “conjunction” with the Sun, and the ancients believed that its heat added to the heat of the Sun, creating a stretch of very hot, humid, and sultry weather. Actually, the conjunction of Sirius with the Sun varies slightly with latitude, and a gradual drifting of the constellations over time means that they are not in exactly the same place in the sky as they were in ancient Rome.

Although this is typically the warmest time of the year in southwestern Connecticut, the added heat is not due to the added radiation of a far-away star, regardless of how bright it is. The heat of Summertime in the Northern Hemisphere is a direct result of the Earth’s 23.5 degree tilt on its axis. Today's normal high temperature is 82 degrees, just one degree shy of the normal high for late July.

Paul

Generous Rainfall Soaks Southwestern Connecticut

Here are the latest rainfall reports from across the region, courtesy of the National Weather Service: https://t.co/KP6gKh9lT1 pic.twitter.com/Ycmmtq8DOu

— Paul Piorek (@PaulPiorekWICC) August 7, 2024

Paul

Flood Watch in Effect for Southwestern Connecticut Through Wednesday at 12 p.m. EDT

A Flood Watch will be in effect for southwestern Connecticut from Tuesday at 2 p.m. until Wednesday at 12 p.m. EDT: https://t.co/eeM7qxNpmt pic.twitter.com/rhZXxF4836

— Paul Piorek (@PaulPiorekWICC) August 5, 2024

Paul

Summer's Midpoint in the Northern Hemisphere Happens This Tuesday, August 6, 2024

The midpoint of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere occurs this Tuesday, August 6, 2024, at 12:47 p.m. EDT. The Summer Solstice will have happened 47 days earlier, and the Autumnal Equinox will be 47 days away. pic.twitter.com/V86vMNynNh

— Paul Piorek (@PaulPiorekWICC) August 5, 2024

Paul

July Hotter and Wetter-Than-Normal Across Southwestern Connecticut

The month of July was hotter and wetter-than-normal across southwestern Connecticut. In fact, all seven months this year have featured a warmer-than-normal average temperature at the Bridgeport climate station, while last month was the fourth out of seven with above-average precipitation.

The average temperature for July was 77.2°, which is 1.5° warmer-than-normal. The range was 92° (July 16) and 63° (July 1 and 3). Nineteen of the 31 days featured an average temperature higher than normal. However, the mercury topped 90° just once (92°) on July 16.

The Bridgeport climate station reported 4.63" of precipitation in July, which is 1.31" above normal. The yearly total (33.42") is more than eight inches higher than normal (25.22"). There were 10 days with at least a trace of precipitation, six days with at least one-tenth of an inch, three days with a half-inch or more, and two days with at least one inch of precipitation.

Paul