Two women are dead after what town officials call “historic, unprecedented flooding” in Oxford on Sunday.
State police have identified the women as 65-year-old Ethelyn Joiner and 71-year-old Audrey Rostkowski, both of Oxford.
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Oxford Fire Chief Scott Pelletier said firefighters responded to get one of the women out of a vehicle when the car shifted in the flooding and she fell and was swept into the floodwater.
One firefighter who tried to help her fell as well and then another firefighter trying to help them went down.
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Other firefighters then acted to help with the rescue and one is being treated for minor injuries.
The other woman was in a vehicle, climbed out, tried to cross the water and made it to a sign, which she was hanging onto it. Firefighters tried to get to her, but she was swept away in rising waters, Pelletier said.
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State police said they responded to Route 67 in Oxford after two people were reported missing following heavy rainfall that led to flooding, which caused some vehicles to be swept away by the raging waters.
The two women were found on Monday and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner responded to the scene, according to state police.
The town believes at least six bridges in town have been washed out, three state bridges and three town bridges. It's unclear how long it will take to repair them. Town buildings have also been closed.
Colonel Daniel Loughman, of Connecticut State Police, said that the Oxford Police Department is "operationally closed" because of flooding, the building was evacuated and no one was injured.
Operations for the police department have been shifted to Troop A in Southbury. Routine police calls should go to Troop A at 203-267-2200 and all emergency calls should go to 911.
