Flood and Strong Wind in Connecticut, March 22 to 25, 1999

An intensifying low pressure system moved up the Hudson Valley, and brought strong southerly winds gusting as high as 55 mph. A peak gust to 48 mph was reported in Willimantic, and a gust to 46 mph was reported at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks. The strong winds downed tree limbs and power lines, resulting in scattered power outages.Localized heavy rainfall of one to two inches combined with rapid snowmelt to produce flooding along the Connecticut River from Hartford to Middletown. Most of the runoff came from melting snow in the upper reaches of the Connecticut, where mild air quickly ate away at the snowpack that had been built up during the snowstorm the week before. At Hartford, the river crested at 17.4 feet at 4 pm on the 24th, which was a little more than a foot above its flood stage of 16 feet. At Middletown, a crest of 8.7 feet at 7 am on the 25th was about half a foot above the flood stage of 8 feet. Only minor lowland flooding was reported along the river, and there were no reports of damage.