A freak heavy rainstorm brought a month's worth of rain to parts of Eastern Connecticut in six hours yesterday, flooding streets and stranding drivers.
Several drivers had to be rescued as well amid conditions were so dangerous that drivers abandoned their cars and walked through water to get home.
One tow truck driver said he had to rescue more than a dozen cars that were stuck.
Residents said it was an indescribable scene on Sholes Avenue as several feet of water rushed through Katherine Fideli's backyard and wiped out almost everything.
"It looks like a lake, we're almost our own private island," Fideli said.
There was so much water in homes across Norwich that the fire department stepped in to pump it out.
“I was fourth on the list, so they said they would show up as soon as they can,” Richard Domm said.
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Crews showed up at his place on Pine Hill Road around 10 p.m.
“There’s just an overwhelming amount of water,” he said.
Fideli's basement was underwater.
“It's just a mess down there; everything's floating around," she said.
On Pleasant Street, Mike Richardson’s garage was flooded and said he had never seen that much water before.
“I’m hoping that it mellows out. I’m going to need a new yard after this, that's for sure,” Richardson said.
On West Town Street, the water was waist-deep.
On Huntington Avenue, at least one home was evacuated after it was compromised by flood waters, fire officials said.
The road remained closed until around 6 p.m., when flood waters receded.
The American Red Cross briefly opened a shelter at the Kelly Middle School in Norwich at 7 p.m. to help families needing shelter but closed it at 10 p.m. because no one needed it.
The Connecticut Tigers vs. the Staten Island Yankees game was canceled because of flooding at the stadium and video showed flooding on the field and in the dugouts.
The highway was also impacted, with on and off ramps of Interstate 395 being shut down in both directions at exit 82 because of flooding.
If you take photos of flooding, send them to photos@nbcconnecticut.com.