Flash flooding hits Northeast, prompting rescues and travel chaos

Heavy rain triggered flash flooding across coastal Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey on Sunday, prompting water rescues, road closures, and significant travel disruptions. The National Weather Service reported that the hardest-hit areas included northern New Jersey, parts of New York's Westchester County, and a swath of coastal Connecticut along Interstate 95. In Westport, Connecticut, emergency responders conducted 13 rescues of people trapped in vehicles by floodwaters, according to the fire department. The coastal stretch from Norwalk to Westport received 6 to 7 inches of rain Sunday morning, with rainfall rates reaching 3 to 4 inches per hour. Westport Fire Department Chief Nick Marsan said the rain cell stalled over lower Fairfield County, an event that was not anticipated. Flooding also affected businesses along Route 1 in Westport and closed the intersection where Route 1 crosses Interstate 95 in Southport for hours. In Bridgeport, the fire department said it answered "call after call," deploying boats to rescue residents from flooded areas.