At 7 p.m. as streets in Stonington Borough quickly flood and the village is cut off from the mainland, emergency officials are developing a plan to set up a makeshift shelter at the borough firehouse for residents who are trapped by the flood waters.

The shelter is being set up on the second floor of the firehouse, as the first floor is flooded.

Two police officers are being assigned to the borough to oversee the operation.

"The borough is an island right now. There's nothing we can do about it," said director of emergency preparedness George Brennan during a 7 p.m. meeting in the bustling emergency operations center at the police station.

Flooding and down wires and trees are making it almost impossible for emergency personnel to get around town.

"A lot of this town is isolated right now. We're in dire straights if we have to get a firefighter or police officer anywhere," Brennan said.

In addition, emergency officials are planning how to transport 20 adults and children who are living at the Quality Inn in Mystic to the shelter at the high school.

The roof of the hotel has been peeled off and water has begun leaking into the building and flowing into the electrical system. Because so many roads are impassable, officials are trying to plot a route that involves using Interstate 95 which is closed.