Redding, but western Connecticut was spared the brunt of the storm that was the most destructive in New England recorded history. The Great Blizzard of 1888 (also known as the Great White Hurricane of 1888) buried Redding under significant snow in March that year, with one resident recollecting horses and cows "stood to their middles" in snow. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, Redding has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.75%, is water. Redding borders Bethel, Danbury, Easton, Newtown, Ridgefield, Wilton and Weston. Redding has nine primary sections: Redding Center, Redding Ridge, Poverty Hollow, Sunset Hill, Lonetown, West Redding, Branchville, West Redding River Delta, and Georgetown, the last of which is situated at the junction of Redding, Ridgefield, Weston and Wilton. Many of these sections have various subdistricts, such as Little Boston in Branchville, Redding Glen in Redding Ridge, and Umpawaug in West Redding. Climate The town is in a humid continental climate zone (Köppen climate classification: Dfa), with cold, snowy winters and hot, humid summers and four distinct seasons. The United States Department of Agriculture places Redding in plant hardiness zone 6b. Summer high temperatures average in the lower 80s Fahrenheit (upper 20s Celsius), with lows averaging in the lower 60s F (upper 10s C). Topography Redding's topography is dominated by three ridges, running north to south, with intervening valleys featuring steep slopes and rocky ledges in some sections. The highest elevation is about 830 feet above sea level, on Sunset Hill in the northeast part of the town; and the low elevation is about 290 feet above sea level at the Saugatuck Reservoir along the southern border. Four streams flow south through Redding toward Long Island Sound: the Aspetuck River, the Little River, the Norwalk River and the Saugatuck River. The Saugatuck River flows through the Saugatuck Reservoir, Redding's largest body of water which stretches south into Weston. The reservoir was created in 1938 through the flooding of a portion of the Saugatuck River Valley. Demographics As of the census of 2010, there were 9,158 people, 3,470 households, and 2,593 families residing in the town. Redding has the third lowest population density in Fairfield County at 285.3 people per square mile (110.2/km2). Between 2000 and 2010, Redding's population increased 10.7%. There were 3,811 housing units as of 2010, up 23.5% from a decade earlier, for an average density of