Raging floodwaters kill two women in Connecticut, officials say

(Reuters) - Raging floodwaters killed two women in Connecticut after heavy rains tore up roads and downed trees, forcing rescuers to retrieve some stranded victims by boat, officials said on Monday.

Weekend rain caused major flooding in western Connecticut and turned deadly at the Little River in the town of Oxford, about 40 miles (65 km) southwest of Hartford.

In two separate incidents on Sunday, one woman was killed in her car and the other as she was attempting to cling to a sign, Oxford Fire Chief Scott Pelletier told a press conference on Monday.

In both cases, firefighters were on scene and attempting to rescue the women when floodwaters swept the victims away, Pelletier said.

Governor Ned Lamont, calling it a "historic storm," declared a state of emergency to help expedite state and federal recovery funds.

"It's just a reminder that we have to hang together at a time like this," Lamont said.

Commanding Officer Daniel Loughman of Connecticut state police announced the two deaths.

Media reports, citing police, identified the women as Ethelyn Joiner, 65, and Audrey Rostkowski, 71.

Their bodies were recovered on Monday after officials first responded to their distress on Sunday, Loughman said. State police were able to rescue by boat an unspecified number of people stranded in two separate locations, Loughman said.

Search dogs and drones continued to comb the area on Monday, Loughman said.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Jamie Freed)