October 2005 Flood

Flooding in Connecticut, October 2005

Heavy rains on October 8-9 and 13-15, 2005 resulted in high streamflows throughout the region, including a new peak-flow record for a  streamflow-gaging station established in 1932. The rainfall from these two events totaled 9 to 16 inches across the state.  Dry antecedent conditions minimized runoff from the October 8-9th event, with recurrence intervals for the rivers ranging less than 5 to 10 years.  Rainfall totals during the October 14-15th storm event ranged from 6 to 8 inches during a 7-hour period in central and northeastern Connecticut. Saturated soils and intense rainfalls from the October 14-15th event resulted in major flooding in several basins in Hartford and Tolland Counties.  USGS streamflow-gaging stations on Burlington Brook, (Burlington, CT), Willimantic River near Coventry (Coventry, CT), Mount Hope River near Warrenville (Ashford, CT), and Broad Brook at Broad Brook (East Windsor, CT) peaked at levels that are expected to occur once about every 100 years or more.  An additional 12 streamflow-gaging stations across Connecticut had recurrence intervals greater than 10 years or more.

Throughout the intense rain and flooding, the USGS provided real-time data on river levels and streamflows from its network of streamflow-gaging stations that are operated in cooperation with other federal, state, and local government agencies.  These stations provide critically important data to the National Weather Service and Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection to estimate flood levels and issue warnings.  These data also are used for a variety of purposes including the delineation of flood-prone areas and design of bridges.
(rainfall data from Connecticut DEP)

   Summary of October 2005 flood event                DEP REPORT October Flooding of 2005  

Fig. 1 – Broad Brook crossing Route 191, East Windsor, CT	Fig. 2 – Confluence of Scantic River and Broad Brook at Route 191, East Windsor, CT Fig. 4 – Quinnipiac River crossing Water Street, Southington, CT
Fig. 3 – Stony Brook crossing South Grand Street, West Suffield,
Fig. 5 – Willimantic River crossing Route 31, Coventry, CT	Fig. 6 – Housatonic River at Stevenson Dam, Shelton and Derby, CT Fig. 8 – Quinnipiac River crossing Quinnipiac Street, Wallingford, CT
Fig. 7 – Mount Hope River, Ashford, CT