'Fingers crossed.' Bridgeport residents along flood-battered Rooster River brace for more potential flooding
Regardless of this weekend's weather, questions about overall flood mitigation efforts along the Rooster River will remain.
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With rain in the forecast for Sunday, residents along the Rooster River in Fairfield County are bracing for the possibility of more flooding.
The Riverwalk Condo complex in Bridgeport was heavily damaged in last Sunday's flood.
Board member Jonathan Walsh says nearly two dozen air conditioning units were destroyed, along with 20 gas meters, multiple cars and more.
"Hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage that we're going to be on the hook for," Walsh says. "For a problem that - from my understanding - should've been addressed years ago."
It was the second flood at the complex in the past two months, according to Walsh.
He doesn't know how much more people can take.
"You're talking about potentially three floods in six to seven weeks?" Walsh says. "So, we have our fingers crossed."
Bridgeport Water Pollution Control Authority says crews have been out clearing storm drains and catch basins in flood-prone areas ahead of Sunday's potential rain.
Regardless of this weekend's weather, questions about overall flood mitigation efforts along the Rooster River will remain.
Connecticut earmarked nearly $45 million for it back in 2023.
Fairfield was awarded a $2.5 million Urban Act grant to build a 9-foot-tall berm at Tunxis Hill Park.
The town, in collaboration with Bridgeport, is also building a detention pond at Fairchild Wheeler Golf Course.
The project was delayed but will finally begin later this month, according to Fairfield First Selectperson Christine Vitale.
The remaining $42 million lawmakers earmarked has yet to be placed on the State Bond Commission agenda for approval, according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
"A lot of frustration," Walsh says. "A lot of unanswered questions."
