Westport officials host 7th meeting to discuss flood mitigation

Officials say they are aware of areas experiencing flooding and say the goal of these meetings is to figure out a way to combat the problem.

News 12 Staff

Jan 27, 2023, 12:55 AM

Updated 621 days ago

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Officials in Westport hosted a meeting Thursday to discuss flooding issues in the town.
This was the seventh meeting town officials have hosted to discuss flood mitigation.
Officials say they are aware of areas experiencing flooding and say the goal of these meetings is to figure out a way to combat the problem.
The director of the Harbor Watch Program at Earth Place in Westport says she is not surprised to see more weather events that cause flooding because of climate change.
"I'm sure as the weather events and the rain events come heavier in shorter time periods, we're going to see excess flooding and that just seems to be the trend these days. That 100-year storm is becoming more frequent, not just in 100 years. And so, as we see an increase in that, were going to see an increase in flooding in communities who haven't had it before," said Nikki Spiller, of Earth Place.
A few weeks ago, Norwalk officials hosted a similar meeting about excessive flooding happening downtown and discussed rising sea levels.
Connecticut has been hit by several storms over the past few years which have caused severe flooding and damages to the area.
Rive Bistro was spared back in December after a heavy rainstorm flooded the deck dining room, which sits on the Saugutuck River, the first flood since Superstorm Sandy.
The restaurant had to close for three days in December for repairs.
This is the reality small businesses and the nearly 10,000 homes in Westport might need to prepare for as storms are getting worse and more frequent.
Westport town officials say the meeting Thursday was not about solutions, it was to listen to concerns and consider how they can combat these issues before the next storm comes.