Irene whacks Westbrook

Westbrook, Conn. (WTNH) - The winds in Westbrook keep getting stronger and stronger, and as a result, the water keeps getting closer and closer to land and breaking harder and harder against the seawall. The homes are right next to the water, so people are hoping the water doesn't come up any higher than it is right now. You can see it splashing right over the top of the seawall, right into people's yards.

News 8 spoke to people who've lived along the water in Westbrook for decades and they said this would never happen. They told us the water would never get above the seawall.

But the water did. And that water didn't care that this was a private beach, and just obliterated the sign that said so. Among the many things the waves tore loose was a Seadoo, left bobbing like a piece of driftwood along the shoreline.

Bill Wink from Southington said, "This is the most awesome thing I ever saw. Long Island Sound looks like the Pacific Ocean."

It may look more like the north Atlantic in the middle of some movie about a doomed fishing boat. And it was the perfect storm - winds peaking just at a new moon high tide.

Plenty of folks have been ignoring the safety rules and came down for a look at the water.

One of those people was John Longyear of Westbook. "I wanted to see the beach amd I got more than I bargained for."

"You didn't think it would be this bad?"

"I didn't know what to think, just that this was a once in a lifetime sight, so..."

So he couldn't resist, but everyone knew not to get too close to the waves.

Before the storm surge, every house had big heavy planters on the seawall. After the surge, they were gone, like so much else.