Irene's Surge Into Noroton Bay [Clarification]

[Editor's Note: The article has been edited to remove an incorrect reference to the movie "The Perfect Storm."]

Noroton Bay is a private beach community in Darien located off of the Post Road at the end of Nearwater Lane. Each house has deeded rights to the beach front and moorings for keeping boats just off the pier in Long Island Sound. Residents are accustomed to weathering the storms each season brings.

The no-name storm, a nor'easter that rolled in on December 11, 1992 was a particularly bad one that long time residents of the Bay recall all too well. The storm approached and moved through very slowly and the strong onshore winds continued throughout two high tides. The strong persistent winds, rain and extreme high tides due to the full moon created "the perfect storm."

Much damage occured and many homes in Connecticut shoreline communities suffered extensive flooding and damage. It was immediately followed by a huge snow storm. At least this time we didn't have to suffer through the last several days with no power under those frigid conditions.

There has been a big changeover in the population of Noroton Bay and most residents had not experienced flooding to this extent before. Those who did experience the 1992 storm prepared extensively for Hurricane Irene and even rented U-Haul trucks and packed up their first-floor contents and moved them to higher ground.

Craig Jeffers, a resident of Mayflower Road, took his camera out into the neighborhood during the tidal surge on Sunday and documented some of Long Island Sound's fury and unstoppable power. It was the biggest storm he and his young family have experienced.

Hurricane Irene's rain and wind had all but stopped when the tide surged in and flooded the entire neighborhood.