Residents take to Hammonasset Beach on Memorial Day to kick off summer
Beachgoers soaked up the sun after a weekend of rain.
'We are playing spikeball over here,' said Jake O'Brien from Wallingford. 'It has been rainy recently now it's a beautiful day and we're taking advantage of the beach.'
Some families took to the park for a cookout, camping and quality time.
Communities across Connecticut observe Memorial Day with parades and ceremonies
'We enjoy each other's company that's the greatest thing about camping with this crew we all get along and we enjoy each other and rain or shine we are going to have fun,' said Toni Acciardo of North Haven.
Others made the journey to the shoreline from out of state.
'Actually getting outside you know,' said Jason Foley from North Haven. 'Coming down from the University of Maine, it is a lot warmer here than up there so looking forward to actually spending time outside and getting sunlight.'
Walkers, runners and bikers all soaked up the sun on Monday, joining the crowds on the shore.
'I think really just getting outside going on the bike paths,' said Newtown residents Jack Whelan and Sadie Elkow. 'We don't go biking too often we love the aquarium it's the best time to go in the summer we go to the aquarium we go fishing, days out with his friends just outside playing frisbee.'
While Memorial Day is seen as the 'unofficial start of summer,' the season doesn't start officially until June 20.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kelsey Mitchell scores 25 and the Fever use a 59-point second half to beat the Dream
Indiana Fever's Lexie Hull (10) grabs a rebound against Atlanta Dream's Brionna Jones (24) during the second half of a WNBA basketball game, Friday, July 11, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast) INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Kelsey Mitchell scored 25 points, Aliyah Boston had 19 points, six rebounds and eight assists, and the Indiana Fever used a 59-point second half to beat the Atlanta Dream 99-82 on Friday night. Caitlin Clark was 5 of 17 from the field, including 1 of 7 from 3-point range, for 12 points and added nine assists for Indiana (10-10). Sophie Cunningham had 16 points and 10 rebounds Advertisement Indiana trailed 63-60 with 3:38 left in the third quarter before holding Atlanta without a field goal for the rest of the frame. The Fever scored the final four points of the third and opened the fourth on a 11-2 run to take an 80-67 lead. Indiana led by double figures the rest of the way. Jordin Canada set career highs with 30 points and six 3-pointers for Atlanta (12-8). Rhyne Howard added 14 points and four 3-pointers, and Brittney Griner had 10 points and eight rebounds. Brionna Jones fouled out with 6:17 remaining in the fourth. STORM 79, SUN 65 SEATTLE (AP) — Gabby Williams scored 18 points including a 3-pointer with 6:10 remaining to put Seattle up for good in a win against Connecticut. Advertisement Williams' shot gave the Storm (13-8) a 63-62 lead and started a 19-3 game-ending run. The Storm outscored the Sun 24-13 in the fourth quarter. Nneka Ogwumike chipped in 16 points while Skylar Diggins and Ezi Magbegor each added 14 points for Seattle. Tina Charles led Connecticut (3-17) with 20 points. Saniya Rivers had 12 points while Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Leila Lacan scored 10 each.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
As Kerr County leaders avoid alert questions, new audio surfaces in CodeRED timeline
KERR COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) – Dispatch audio has surfaced from the critical hours before a deadly flood hit its height in Kerr County, helping piece together the timeframe local officials have yet to provide amid public scrutiny of their decisions on July 4. 'We still have water coming up,' an Ingram volunteer firefighter is heard telling a county sheriff dispatcher at 4:22 a.m. 'The Guadalupe Schumacher sign is underwater on State Highway 39. Is there any way we can send a CodeRED out to our Hunt residents, asking them to find higher ground or stay home?' LISTEN: Ingram volunteer firefighter calls Kerr County dispatch during deadly July 4 flood, requesting CodeRED alert. CodeRED is a notification system some agencies use to send emergency alerts to subscribers' cell phones. Online, the county encourages residents to sign up for the free service, which 'has the ability to notify the entire county or only the affected areas' about emergency situations – including severe weather – 'in a matter of minutes.' In the recording obtained by KXAN investigators from a credible source, the dispatcher then tells the firefighter: 'We have to get that approved with our supervisor. Just be advised we do have the Texas water rescue en route.' The timing of that request came more than three hours after the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning – at 1:14 a.m. – for a portion of the county and around 20 minutes after the federal forecasting agency warned of a flash flood emergency – at 4:03 a.m. – in the area. Sheriff hints at 'after action' review, as records reveal warning of 'worst-case flood event' It is still unclear at what time CodeRED alerts went out, as local officials have largely sidestepped related questions. Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring, Jr. told reporters the only CodeRED notification he received was at 6 a.m., indicating a flash flood alert or 'something to that effect.' Ceslie Armstrong, who identified herself as a San Antonio-based producer and journalist – and longtime Hill Country resident who is subscribed to CodeRED – provided KXAN investigators with call recordings and text messages she said she received during the flood. The first was a text received at 5:34 a.m., saying a 'The NWS has issued a Flash Flood Warning for your… location.' It was followed a minute later by a pre-recorded audio message, saying the same, adding to 'take immediate action for your protection.' CodeRED alerts from Kerr County on July 4 (Courtesy Ceslie Armstrong) Another person near the flooded area who spoke with KXAN shared a cell phone screenshot, showing a much earlier alert time with a voicemail left at 1:14 a.m. from a number traced back to CodeRED. It suggests inconsistencies in recipients countywide. Responding to CodeRED concerns during a Wednesday press event, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha said an 'after action' review would happen after recovery and notifying victims' families. 'I know that's going to be asked over and over,' Leitha said. 'Please understand that… We're not going to hide from everything, that's going to be checked into at a later time.' On Thursday morning, officials updated the county's death toll to 96. A total of 161 people were still missing. County commissioners approved the use of CodeRED in 2009 for $25,000 a year. On the county's website, it states the 'system delivered pre-recorded emergency phone messages' when 'rapid and accurate notification is essential for life safety.' Historically, the sheriff has had the ultimate authority on sending an alert to the public. KXAN is awaiting a response and fulfillment of records requests we made to the county and other local officials to better understand decisions regarding the notifications during this flood. On Tuesday, Leitha told reporters: 'It's not that easy, and you just push a button. OK? There's a lot more to that.' When asked if that happened, he responded: 'I can't tell you at this time.' Critics point to challenges with CodeRED using publicly available phone numbers and voluntary registration to send texts, voicemails and emails – meaning warnings may not reach all residents or visitors in a disaster area. However, the company behind CodeRED has explained it can also utilize IPAWS, the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System funded by FEMA – which alerts all phones in a geographical area, regardless of enrolling in the system. According to FEMA, 135 Texas agencies or entities use IPAWS, including Kerr County and the City of Kerrville. 'Each local jurisdiction independently determines their intended use of tools such as CodeRED as well as their local process to dispatch notifications and alerts using the tool,' a CodeRED corporate spokesperson told KXAN investigators. 'Local governments also determine whether to send alerts through IPAWS during the alert creation process within CodeRED.' In 2012, The Kerrville Daily Times reported 18,451 people had signed up for CodeRED alerts in the area. In 2020, county commissioners approved incorporating IPAWS into CodeRED, so that tourists could be reached even if they were not in the local database, according to meeting minutes and a video archive KXAN investigators reviewed. 'The easiest way to explain it is, say you're traveling through this area and we've had something happen here, it could still notify you if we send it out,' former Kerr County Sheriff William 'Rusty' Hierholzer told commissioners in a November 2020 meeting. Since last week's flood, officials have fielded questions regarding the effectiveness of CodeRED alerts in the county's rural areas where cell service can be spotty. Officials have also said many of the children at camps along the Guadalupe River did not have phones with them. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kerr County warned of ‘monstrous and devastating flash floods'
AUSTIN (KXAN) — While Kerr County officials say they didn't know how bad the July 4 flooding would be, it warned residents nearly eight years ago to 'be flood aware' about the ongoing potential for 'monstrous and devastating flash floods.' 'The topography is favorable for water to not just stagnate but to rush down rivers, creeks and streams,' said Cary Burgess, a Hill Country meteorologist. 'If you get three or four inches of rain at one time, that could be a real serious problem.' Kerr County received as much as three to four times that, according to reports. In September 2017, the Upper Guadalupe River Authority sounded the alarm in an online video produced with Kerr County and the city of Kerrville warning about the dangers of flash floods and its historical precedent posted to YouTube. The video notes Kerr County, and Central Texas, are 'the most flash flood prone area in the United States by the National Weather Service, often referred to as 'Flash Flood Alley' due to its steep terrain and shallow soil. As Kerr County leaders avoid alert questions, new audio surfaces in CodeRED timeline 'Our area has a history of monstrous and devastating flash floods,' the video said. Like a historic flood in August 1978 that killed at least nine people and another flood in July 1987 that killed 10. 'It rained about 15 inches in a matter of three hours,' Burgess said. In 2016, officials discussed flood warning sirens. According to Kerr County Commissioners' Court meeting minutes, one commissioner said at the time: 'The thought of beautiful Kerr County having these damn sirens going off in the middle of the night, I'm going to have to start drinking again to put up with y'all.' In 2018, the county's request for a $1 million grant for a new flood warning system was rejected. So far, Kerr County Emergency Management Coordinator William B. 'Dub' Thomas has not said what actions were taken after the first flood alerts came in a week ago. In the 2017 online video, he said it was up to residents to 'heed the warnings' — like not driving across flooded roads. 'It's all about personal accountability,' Thomas said. 'You're responsible for your life, your family's life, the lives of your children.' On Thursday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced the creation of House and Senate Select Committees on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding. Lawmakers will look at flood warning systems, emergency communications and relief funding during the upcoming special session. 'In the coming year, and into the next regular legislative session,' Patrick said, 'we will gather all the facts and answer the many questions to which the public demands answers.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
