HARTFORD, Conn. — Tropical Storm Henri moved through Connecticut on Sunday, leaving in its wake massive flooding, downed trees, and power outages in dozens of communities across the state.
The storm made landfall in Rhode Island at 12:15 p.m. The storm system brought heavy winds and rains to the area as it began pummeling the northeastern U.S. coastline early Sunday.
Henri had weakened before landfall and did not pack as much punch as originally forecast. Though downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm, Henri still packed wind gusts of up to 70 mph in some areas as it moved up the coast.
Heavy rains led to inland flooding in areas around the state including in Manchester and closed north Interstate 91 in Wethersfield for some time.
One homeowner told FOX61 News that Henri dropped about four feet of water around her house and that the fire department used a canoe to rescue her.
"It was so funny because I don't have a good balance," she said. "It was really nice of him to help me."
Tractor-trailers were banned on I-95 by an order of Gov. Ned Lamont for most of the day, but as the storm dwindled, that order was lifted.
At its peak, more than 30,000 customers lost power throughout the state. Officials at Eversource estimated that it would take them several days to restore power to all customers.
People in New Haven, Groton, and other towns along the shoreline were asked to evacuate but were later allowed to return. Towns like Hamden and Derby declared emergencies.
"We made it through," officials in Old Saybrook after rescinding an emergency order for the town. "We are all fortunate to live and work in such a special community."
The State Department of Public Health, and the Long Term Care Ombudsman office, ordered four nursing homes to evacuate, Apple Rehab West Haven, Apple Rehab Saybrook, Apple Rehab Guilford, and Apple Rehab Mystic.
A spokesperson for the company said, “All residents have been safely placed in facilities throughout the state and our staff continue to follow up with each resident. Staff from these facilities have been redirected to other facilities as needed.”
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Connecticut Department of Public Health stressed that people should avoid direct contact with water in areas near drainage pipes statewide, particularly in urban areas such as Bridgeport, Hartford, Norwalk, Norwich, and the greater New Haven area over the next 72 hours in Connecticut's streams and rivers. Residents are advised not to swim, fish, or utilize paddle craft in these areas.
Lamont urged residents to use their judgement in the next 48 hours, as more flooding is expected for the state.
"There's going to be still some risk tomorrow, don't be stupid," said Lamont. "Please stay close to home if you can. Assuming if you have to go to work if you see those puddles of water be careful. You don't know if that is 1 inch or a foot of water."
President Joe Biden approved emergency declarations for Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
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