A significant thawing of the ice jam along the Housatonic River in Kent has become more noticeable, according to incident public information officer Brian Ohler.  The state Representative says temperatures over the past week, combined with some moderate precipitation, have allowed river water to push through the softening ice jam.  

An open water channel has grown and water is flowing freely through the ice jam itself. 

Ohler says it will still take a few more weeks of thawing before the jam moves entirely downstream.  The ice jam was two miles long, but now it's down to about a mile.  While there is no immediate threat of flash flooding and no inherent risks to neighboring homes, he says the local state of emergency will remain in place until the ice jam melts or moves out of Kent. 

Ohler says there have only been a few instances where people were told to leave flood prone areas or to step back from the ice jam.  He notes that the ice will become increasing unstable as it begins to break apart into smaller pieces and eventually flow downstream.