Amid an ongoing drought, heavy rain on Monday and Tuesday brought several inches of rain to eastern Connecticut, but rainfall amounts varied greatly throughout the region.

The region remained in a flood watch through 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. An Associated Press report said a stretch of towns in Middlesex and New London counties received the most rainfall with the storm. Rain was expected to continue Tuesday night and into Wednesday.

“A lot of places saw a month-and-a-half of rain in 24 hours,” said Gary Lessor, chief meteorologist with the Western Connecticut State University Weather Center.

In Norwich, Public Works Director Patrick McLaughlin said rainfall varied from eastern to western sections of the city, with the Taftville and Greeneville areas in the eastern portion of the city receiving 6 inches of rain through midday Tuesday, while the West Side measured less than 4 inches.

Lessor said measurements in Norwich ranged from 5.3 to 5.85 inches as of 7 a.m. Tuesday, but heavy rain continued after that time.

Street flooding was widespread late Monday in Norwich, and a sinkhole at North Main and Sixth Street closed the road Monday evening until repairs were made. In Taftville, an underground culvert lifted and damaged a sidewalk on South B Street, McLaughlin said. The sidewalk will be closed until repairs are made next week, he said.

A flood gauge on the Yantic River in Norwich showed the volatility of the flood-prone river from the drought through the Labor Day storm. At noon Monday, before heavy rain hit the region, the river flood stage level measured less than 1 foot. By noon Tuesday, it had jumped to 5.5 feet, and is expected to crest later Tuesday at 6 feet and then steadily drop into Wednesday. The Yantic River reaches flood stage at 9 feet.

Nearly all of Connecticut was experiencing severe drought conditions as of Sept. 1, according to the U.S. drought monitor. A corner of eastern New London County was experiencing extreme drought conditions.

Other rainfall amounts in the region included 3.11 and 4 inches in New London, 2.69 inches in Quaker Hill, 4.32 inches in Lyme, 6.25 inches in Pendleton Hill in North Stonington, but only 1.48 inches in Pawcatuck.

c.bessette@theday.com