MONROE, CT — Heavy rains caused flash flooding in the region on Sunday. Monroe was hit particularly hard as fallen power poles caused power outages and rushing water caused severe damage to roads and buildings. Firefighters also rescued people trapped in their cars and homes.

A wedding party at The Waterview, 215 Roosevelt Drive, had to be evacuated when floodwaters caused significant erosion behind the property.

“There were large craters behind the Waterview,” said Police Chief Keith White. “The building was not damaged, but the property was severely damaged. The ground behind it was simply washed away.”

Nearby, water streamed down the driveway to Z-Topia, the site of the former Stevenson Lumber property at 1545 Monroe Turnpike.

“We’re still investigating the area, so we don’t have a full damage report yet,” said George Zwally, owner of Z-Topia. “It’s still under water. Roads were washed away, there was debris everywhere, there was massive flooding. The cleanup will take weeks. We’re just glad everyone in the area is safe.”

According to White, Route 34 is currently closed after the bridge on the curve at Lake Zoar Drive-In was washed away.

He said rescue boats were on standby but would not be deployed in the city.

According to a Facebook post from the Monroe Parks and Recreation Department, the Great Hollow Lake section of Wolfe Park will remain closed until further notice due to issues related to the storm.

While police responded to traffic accidents and emergency calls, White said firefighters handled calls related to basements, flooding and home problems.

Monroe Fire Department Chief Kevin Catalano said firefighters responded to dozens of emergency calls Sunday, including two rescues of motorists trapped in their vehicles in the Stepney area and two rescues from homes in Stevenson.

White said no injuries were reported from the storm. Most emergency calls came from northeast Monroe, and isolated flooding was reported throughout the city.

“We have been responding since the storm started, which has been going on for hours,” he said Sunday evening.

Eversource Energy crews were deployed and by 8 p.m., White said, “they have made significant progress. From a peak of 750, we are down to 130 outages. We are waiting for the Connecticut DOT Bridge Unit to investigate two locations on Route 34.”

“Tomorrow we will assess the damage,” said First Selectman Terry Rooney. “We are also currently in discussions with the state. Our town was extremely affected and travel will be difficult in certain areas in the near future.”

The First Selectman, who has been communicating with residents online throughout the day, said he will post a list of road closures on the Town of Monroe website as soon as possible.

Monroe first responders received assistance from several cities during the storm.

“We had about 40 firefighters from the city of Monroe on duty, plus additional fire crews from Trumbull, Shelton, Bridgeport, Newtown and Norwalk who assisted for nearly five hours,” Catalano said.

Rooney thanked the firefighters who helped him. He also mentioned how crews from the Monroe Public Works Department assisted rescue workers, using heavy equipment to clear away logs and debris during the rescue.

“Our roads and buildings have been significantly damaged by the flooding,” said Rooney. “Emergency services are still on standby and expect severe weather again this evening.”

In the video below, White shows a clip of the flooding on Route 111, at the railroad bridge across from Route 34, and Zwally shows footage of the flooding at Z-Topia, 1545 Monroe Turnpike.

The videos are followed by photos shared by White of severe flooding on Bagburn Hill Road, as well as photos from Zwally and Catalano.

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