July 4, 2009 Flood cleanup continues in Connecticut Play video

(NECN: Brian Burnell, Stonington, Conn.) - According to the National Weather Service Stonington, Connecticut got seven inches of rain in 24 hours starting Wednesday. Here it is, Friday, and the cleanup continues. Flooding is the big problem. Its been such a wet spring and early summer the ground was unable to absorb any more water so where does it end up?

Jim Ceil, Stonington CT: Usually don't get water in the basement 'cause this water here will stay lower than it is right now. But we got so much rain I just don't thinks its got anywhere to go.

So the pumps are still running in Jim's neighborhood. A neighborhood that is not far from Long Island Sound and has seen its share of bad weather.

Jim Ceil, Stonington CT: Even in hurricanes it hasn't been like this in terms of flooding, has it? Yeah, I don't know if I;ve been during a full fledged hurricane. I lived in Mystic at the time and we got some water but nothing like this.

Across the street at Keri McGoldrick's house its even worse.

Keri McGoldrick, Stonington CT: The water came all the way up where all this wood is and it came up under the trampoline and was back even further because when it receded we had tons of pine needles in piles that were pulled back.

The basement filled up and that is frustrating to Keri because supposedly it was designed to handle water.

Keri McGoldrick, Stonington CT: We have two sump pumps and french drains that are supposed to be able

to handle any amount of water and we had to go and rent 2 more pumps to keep up with the water we've already drained out.

Pumps that have to keep going all the time or the basement will fill up again because the water table is so high.

Brian Burnell, NECN: Keri tells me this basement was well organized. A place for everything and everything in its place. The trouble is when the water came up everything started to float so when it went back down wherever things were that's where they landed. How high was the water? Well, here's your water line on this hutch. I'd say about 2-and-a-half feet.

Keri McGoldrick, Stonington CT: We lost all kinds of memories. Christmas ornaments, decorations, baby pictures. We've lost air conditioner, washer, drier, antique furniture.

And she does not have flood insurance.