HADDAM — Swelling waters from the Connecticut River, caused by record rainfall and flooding up north, have flooded coastal areas of towns such as Cromwell, Middletown, Portland, Haddam and south, where the pressure of debris is forcing boats and docks downstream, causing widespread damage.
Haddam resident Neal Perron's home faces Haddam Island and overlooks the river. Perron, who has lived on the river for more than 40 years, began paying attention to the situation early this week after learning about catastrophic flooding in Vermont, he said.
Besides vessels and unmoored slipways, he’s witnessed some surprising items traveling with strong currents and passing by his residence.
Perron, a retired Cromwell Fire Department lieutenant, saw a quarter-keg float by, and, “On our neighbor’s dock, there’s a queen-size mattress that got hung up, there’s a canoe — it’s a lot of debris,” he said.
The National Weather Service is continuing its flood warning for areas of Connecticut and into Massachusetts until further notice.
Upriver in Middletown, fire crews have been at Harbor Park, where the water level reached the metal railings between the boardwalk and river.
The river there was expected to crest at 21.4 feet by midnight, and then recede, Middletown Fire Chief Jay Woron said Wednesday.
In the days prior to the river flooding locally, Perron twice posted a warning to boaters on Facebook, advising them to take their vessels out of the water.
"Some of these trees moving at a good clip will pierce your hull,” he said. “Depending where you are on your docks, it’s like toothpicks. If you start stacking them on each other, the tree will get caught between the pier and the back of a boat, and another tree will come in and it starts weaving it all together.”
Jay Verney, who lives on Landing Road in Haddam, said Thursday afternoon that river overruns haven’t occurred for about five years, as Connecticut has lately experienced dry springs. “We’re effectively in the equivalent of a spring freshet — only it’s summer,” he said.
“We’ve seen water like this during related to hurricanes, like when Irene (in 2011) and Sandy (in 2012 came) through,” said Verney, who was taking a practical view of conditions.
“It’s pretty benign. It comes up on the lawn. You watch the hydrographs (water level observations) and where it’s going to go height-wise,” he added. “Right now, it’s pretty well crested.”
The biggest challenge, Verney said, are obstacles floating from the north.
His boat, a heavy, 26-foot Sea Ray express cruiser, is moored on the dock on his property. “Occasionally you have to go out there and get a log or something off the boat,” he said. “It’s not a big deal, but it does require surveillance to stay on top of it.”
Rainfall forecasted for Friday through Sunday may cause the river to rise more, Verney said, but the water will recede. “[Flooding] just shifted into the warmer season. … It won’t have much effect.”
Normally, his home is located 100 feet from the Connecticut River, although now, it’s 60 feet to 70 feet away, and the standing water is about ankle deep, Verney said.
Flooding is not unexpected on the river, added Varney, who has lived there since 2005. “If you’re going to live on the water; (and have) waterfront property, you have to understand it," he said.
Right now, the water is about 10 feet above sea level, he said. The highest he’s seen was 14 feet, which did cause about a foot of flooding in his basement.
“We’re not in the main current of the river, we're along the periphery," he said. "The water goes up and down, not like around the seashore — violent waves blasting with wind or anything like that. It’s a flood zone, and it’s just vertical water that you’re dealing with.”
Vermont residents and officials also were comparing floodwaters to the devastation in August 2011.
Perron hasn’t seen this level of flooding since January 2018, when ice jams caused catastrophic damage in the area. “That was a little bit different because it was a lot of ice, and kept stacking up on each other, plus we had two weeks of subzero temperatures,” he explained.
What’s happening this week is akin to Irene in terms of river levels and debris being carried downstream, and, prior to that, in 1984, Perron said.
“In '84, it was a little different because you still had the oil tankers coming up the river, so you had a lot more oil slick on the surface of the water … and a lot more garbage versus now.
“Now it’s more trees, docks and everything, but back in '84, it was garbage and cans and glass bottles," he said. Fortunately, Perron added, the river is much cleaner these days. “It’s more natural debris coming down, with the exception of manmade docks — and mattresses,” he said with a laugh.
He has sympathy for boat owners who have lost vessels they've worked very hard on, Perron added.
Fire officials are urging boaters, swimmers and others to stay out of the water because of dangerous conditions caused by the strong current. In addition, Perron said, bacteria levels are “skyrocketing” from overflowing septic systems.
He’s been in regular contact with the U.S. Coast Guard. The agency is asking those who see vessels floating down the river to notify them so they know what to look out for, Perron added.
To view current weather conditions, visit the National Weather Service website at weather.gov.
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