The race is on to clear storm drains before the wintry mix that fell between Tuesday night and Wednesday floods home or freezes back up.
Crews in West Hartford dealt with flooding problems on Wyndwood Road on Wednesday morning, so they had to open a catch basin and that is just one community where crews or residents are working on clearing the drains.
On Marlin Road in New Britain, Richard Picerno was trying to locate the storm drain under all the snow.
“See where that big puddle is? That huge puddle over there? That’s a storm drain,” he said. “I want to see my drain!”
Experts said Picerno is smart to try and clear the drain now before it freezes up again and city leaders across the state said public works crews have been out between the storms doing their best to clear every catch basin.
In Bridgeport, public works crews are out clearing storm drains, but they are also asking residents who can safely clear them to do so.
“Crews currently are out working to clear snow-covered catch basins, and we’re also asking residents, if at all possible and if they can do it safely, to clear storm drains in front of their homes,” said Jorge Garcia, Bridgeport's director of public facilities. “It would be an enormous help. We are experiencing some minor roadway flooding with the rain overnight and melting snow.”
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City officials said they can also use help to clear out fire hydrants.