Flooding from the sudden, severe weather on Sunday caused varying levels of damage to a number of Weston residences, undermined a key roadway, and appears to have washed out a bridge replacement.

Home and business owners whose properties were affected can report damages on the state’s Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) website, which will help state officials gather information and speed the process of applying for federal assistance that may become available.

Floodwaters dug about six feet into the embankment on Newtown Turnpike (Route 53) north of Valley Forge Road, leading to an indefinite closure.

In a briefing on Wednesday, Sergeant Joe Miceli, the town’s emergency operations director, said Weston police officers, public works personnel, and Department of Transportation crews began assessing road conditions as soon as the severity of the storm became evident.

Sgt. Miceli said DOT workers had at first hoped to leave Newtown Turnpike open, but then determined it was too undermined for safe passage. Detour signs were placed right away.

Where the road has been closed at the intersection with Valley Forge, barrels have been placed, which allows access by residents to a half dozen homes. Farther up at the reservoir, concrete barriers make the road impassable.

At press time, no estimates have been provided for how long Newtown Turnpike will be closed, but it seems likely to be a period of several weeks or maybe even months.

Michaels Way bridge work

The storm appears to have washed away progress on a bridge replacement at Michaels Way, a project that began in spring. The construction site was “decimated,” said Weston Police Chief Ed Henion.

First Selectwoman Samantha Nestor said Public Works director Larry Roberts and his staff have evaluated all the other bridge work being done in town, including at River Road and Davis Hill Road, and none are damaged.

Public Works crews repaired a section of Valley Forge Road at Newtown Turnpike where erosion had occurred.

Sudden impact

“This one was such a surprise,” said Chief Henion. “When we have time, we can prepare. We can hold officers over, crank up our Humvees for water rescues, and open the emergency operations center. We didn’t have time for any of that.”

“Our alerts come from the state, which gets data from the National Weather Service,” said Sgt. Miceli. “It looked like all that was coming was a little rain, maybe ¼ inch. An hour and a half later, all hell broke loose.”

Officers spread out quickly, coordinated with DOT, and put out cones, signs, and tape to mark problem areas. “The DPW guys were terrific,” said Sgt. Miceli, “and the fire department did a wonderful job.”

The Weston Volunteer Fire Department responded to more than a dozen calls from midday through late evening, several from motorists trapped in cars on flooded roadways.

“We got the word out as quickly as possible,” said Sgt. Miceli, “and most people in Weston pay attention and heed the warnings. But some either didn’t get the alerts or didn’t take them seriously, which makes things difficult.”

“When we say travel is not advised, that’s a clue. It means conditions aren’t safe. Stay home, stay safe, stay dry. Consider every road closed, even if we haven’t had time to post specific closures. Lifesaving comes first.”

Residents can sign up to get emergency alerts from the Town’s Everbridge system.

“Please remember this,” said First Selectwoman Nestor. “We don’t have a huge police force, and our fire and EMS services are all volunteers. When you go out when it isn’t safe, you put your neighbors at risk.”

Reporting damage

The information about flood damage that can be reported on the DEMHS website is key to determining whether the state, towns, homeowners, or businesses qualify for federal assistance.

Those submitting reports should include photos and videos of the damage, copies of receipts or written estimates, and all other supporting documentation.

Valley Forge roadside repairs