Today's storm floods Children's Room at the Ansonia Library

 

Oxford Grange to host flood recovery fundraiser featuring psychic medium

 

All In for Seymour alliance works to support flood recovery efforts

SEYMOUR - In response to the recent floods that have devastated Seymour, Oxford, and surrounding towns, a growing local and regional alliance of churches, food pantries, local businesses, service organizations, and residents called All In for Seymour has joined forces with their neighbors and government to support the recovery effort.   

Within hours of offering to become an aid distribution site, Trinity Episcopal Church was flooded with clothes, blankets, toys, toiletries, and other items donated by the community. Surveying this outpouring of generosity, Rev. Tricia Pasley commented that “I saw ‘Valleyness’ firsthand. We planned to collect donations over several days, but in the span of four hours the donations were eight feet deep.  

The Seymour Oxford Food Bank, faced with a marked increase in need, expanded its operating hours and began distributing fresh produce, bottled water, and pantry staples with no questions asked. 

Director Kristina Walton, who also runs the Oxford Neighbor to Neighbor Pantry from her front lawn, hopes the food bank can remain “a place where everyone is welcomed and loved, and can have their needs met.”

Other All In for Seymour alliance members quickly stepped up to collaborate. 

The Blessing Pantry, the Little Free Pantry on Skokorat, and Seymour Food 2 Kids helped collect, sort, and distribute donations of food pouring in from all over the state. 

M&T Bank worked with Trinity Church to raise over $20,000 for flood relief. Seymour Congregational Church organized a benefit concert - still available for viewing on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/live/PAXB1crzYu0) – and the Love Mom XOXO Foundation started an apparel campaign featuring the logo “Small Town. Big Heart” - apparel can be purchased through the foundation’s website (www.lovemomxoxo.org/floodrelief) or Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/lovemomxoxo?mibextid=LQQJ4d).  

Seymour Congregational Church has also been collecting food donations, storing overflow donations for the food bank, and offering people of all faiths space for comfort, meditation, and healing.

In addition to these efforts – and taking part in ongoing clean-ups at sites like Klarides Village – All In for Seymour has been hosting monthly Eat and Greet gatherings, an opportunity for neighbors to share a meal, hear each other’s stories, and work together to come up with solutions to common challenges. 

The September event at Trinity Episcopal Church featured home cooked comfort food, including Trinity’s famous meatloaf, as well as breakout rooms for optional mini reiki sessions and spiritual support. As always, events are free and open to everyone. 

Corrine Weston, who recently moved to Seymour and attended last month’s Eat and Greet gathering, said, “My family and I have come from a different Connecticut town, where we experienced three floods, had to evacuate twice and lost so much. During those times not once did the rally come from our leaders in the church community or the residents to help their neighbors. 

"Instead, people complained that you were taking too long to clean or that your dumpster needed to be emptied. No phone calls or offers of support. But what happened here in Seymour was everyone pitched in to first check on the safety of their community and neighbors, rolled up their sleeves and worked side by side. 

"Clothing and food supplies are overflowing and still this community is looking to comfort anyone hurting. Years ago, when we traveled past this area, we often wondered what type of people live in Seymour, now we know.”  

All In for Seymour (allinforseymour.org) is an alliance of community members and local organizations working to ensure that everyone in Seymour has a place including a safe and affordable place to live, a place where access to food is secure, and a place in the discussions and decisions that affect residents’ lives. 

All In for Seymour is one of several All In alliances in the area (allinalliances.org), supported by the regional antipoverty agency TEAM, Inc. (teaminc.org) and the regional community organizing network the Naugatuck Valley Project (nvpct.org). 

This month’s All In for Seymour “Eat and Greet” community gathering will be held Oct. 24 from 6-8:30 p.m. with location TBD. 

Event updates and RSVP (which is recommended) are available via the All In for Seymour website, www.allinforseymour.org/gathering.

This is a press release from Jenny Rice, founding member, All In for Seymour, and steward, Little Free Pantry on Skokorat. 

All In For Seymour to hold Eat & Greet Thursday at Trinity Episcopal Church

Valley Chamber event to support TEAM's Community Rising Flood Relief Fund

SEYMOUR - When flood waters rise, we rise up as a community.

Please join us from 4-6 p.m. Sept. 18 at Dock 34 for this special End of Summer Social presented by Cross Insurance to support the TEAM, Inc. Community Rising Flood Relief Fund. 

Dock 34 is located at 177 Roosevelt Drive.

Plus support one of the business owners impacted by the flood of Aug. 18 - Dock 34 is the sister company to the Route 67 Family Diner which was devastated by the flood.

Lite Bites, Cash Bar, Networking, Music by DJ Scott. Free to attend.

Help us with our planning; please register in advance. Not able to join us, you can still support the TEAM Fund by the link in the event discussion on Facebook event page.

Shine or Rain - By the Firepit or Under the Pavilion.

Shared from a Facebook event page. 

Trinity Episcopal Church in Seymour to collect household item donations

NEWS!!! This is a BIG ONE! 

We have been receiving many calls from people wanting to donate household items to people impacted by the flood - so many homes need to replace ALL of their belongings. So, our friends at Trinity Episcopal Church of Seymour have offered to accept these items, organize them, and open up their doors to anyone who is in need.

Monday, Aug. 26 through Thursday, Aug. 29
9 a.m.- 4 p.m.

Used items and gently worn clothing accepted, anything NEW even better! (Think towels, sheets, toiletries, kitchenware, etc).

Do you want to volunteer to help sort through and display the donated items? Email lmckenzie@teaminc.org

Shared from TEAM, Inc.'s Facebook page.

From the 'Turnback Tuesday' archives: Dam collapse in 1891

*Coincidentally this Turnback Tuesday photo came up in my Facebook memories today. It was originally posted on this date in 2016.

e

a8

This week’s “Turnback Tuesday” photo was taken in 1891, just after the Housatonic Dam collapse on January 22nd of that year. Due to faulty construction, a buildup of ice combined with a heavy freshet washed away approximately 250 feet of the dam. This photo was taken on the Derby side of the river, most likely along Roosevelt Drive.
Thanks goes to the Derby Public Library staff for sharing interesting local history each week.

Seymour First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis issues Friday update on flood impact

               

"Good morning, Seymour. I provided an update on the impact of the flood on roads, businesses, and residents.

This update is about the Kinneytown Dam and the surrounding area. I hope this answers some questions and concerns.

Kinneytown Dam and Powerhouse:

At least two sections of flashboards failed.

Safety boom broke and most buoys are lost. Looks like it broke in the middle – both ends are still attached to the trees that it was anchored it to.

Floors wet in powerhouse, but likely due to leaky roof.

Rail:

The Waterbury Branch Rail Line was undermined just south of the dam. MNRR and DOT were on site and already bringing material in this afternoon. DOT Staff on site said there were other washouts on the line, although they did not see any others from the air in the vicinity of the Kinneytown facility.

The rail bed holds up the canal in this section, and about half of the bed had been washed away. Additional washout here could cause a breach in the canal.

Gatehouse:

There was moderate flow through the gates in the gatehouse into the canal, meaning that the sediment/debris plug likely shifted or was flushed out.

No signs that the river bypassed the gatehouse.

Coe Pond Dam:

No sign of overtopping, but continued erosion on the downstream slope near the rail evident, along with sediment flows.

Luckily no downed trees on forested section of the dam.

DOT and MNRR were on site and were waiting on FERC staff to do an inspection today. Will keep an eye on the docket for a report.

Unit 2:

North side of powerhouse flooded – unclear where the water came from.

The flood gates adjacent to the Unit 2 Powerhouse were closed during the storm. The flood gates were opened , and it did not look like floodwaters reached the bottom of the gates. Ansonia FD cut chains on the access gate to Unit 2 from N. 4th Street, and access gate near the flood gate in their efforts to close the flood gates.

Derby Avenue, Seymour

It looked like the River may have left its banks near the sewer pump station. There is a lot of silt surrounding the pump station and on Derby Ave. Also, there were some some high water marks on house foundations and steps just north of the pump station.

Further north near the cemetery, debris and bent vegetation indicated that the river did not leave its banks there but came close."

Shared from the Office of the First Selectwoman of Seymour Facebook page.

Griffin Health supports TEAM's Valley Flood Relief Fund

 

Hope and Healing for Our Neighbors

Griffin Health is supporting and spreading the word about TEAM Inc.'s Valley Flood Relief Fund, which provides direct assistance to Valley individuals and households impacted by the flood, including but not limited to modest levels of support for their personal health and safety, shelter, and/or other basic living needs.

If you can help, please visit www.griffinhealth.org/valleyflood to support our neighbors in need.

Shared from Griffin Hospital's Facebook page.

Apparel fundraiser to support Seymour first responders

 

Donate to Seymour Oxford Food Bank, help families impacted by flood

 

Derby Elks Lodge collecting food for Seymour, Oxford families impacted by flood

 

TEAM sets up special fund to help Valley residents affected by floods

From the Office of the First Selectwoman of Seymour Facebook page:

"Thank you, Dave Morgan from TEAM, Inc., for setting this up. For those wishing to donate and help flood victims, TEAM, Inc. is the region's Community Action Agency, serving the Valley up through Oxford. They have set up a special fund for those affected by the flood across the region. Here [below] is the donation page, please choose "August 18th flood relief" from the drop-down menu."

https://teaminc.org/donate/...