Many people were passing through to recharge their phones and get something to eat, said John Montes, regional disaster officer. The American Red Cross of Northern New England supported shelters in Rutland, White River Junction and Barre, where the city auditorium had 58 evacuees Wednesday morning, compared to more than 200 on Tuesday. One death was blamed on the storm - a woman whose body was found after she was swept away in Fort Montgomery, New York.Ībout 12 Vermont communities, including the state capital, were under a boil water alert, but at least they were reachable again after being marooned by high water. Thunderstorms, gusty winds and hail were forecast for Thursday and Friday in Vermont, but Banacos said they'll blow through quickly enough that more flooding isn't likely. Major waterways including the Connecticut River overflowed their banks, and were expected to crest Wednesday at up to 6 feet (2 meters) above flood stage, closing roads and riverside parks in multiple cities.īy mid-day Wednesday, all the rivers in Vermont had crested and water levels were receding, although at least one was 20 feet (6 meters) above normal, said Peter Banacos, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Much of that water was carrying debris including entire trees, boulders and even vehicles south through Connecticut to Long Island Sound. Even after two days of receding waters, the Connecticut River retained a muddy brown hue and farmland along the river remains saturated, she said. Maura Healey got a bird’s eye view in a helicopter ride to the small town of Williamsburg on Wednesday, where roads were washed out and some people had to be rescued from their homes. New York 's Hudson River Valley also was hit hard, along with towns in southwest New Hampshire and western Massachusetts. Scott said floodwaters surpassed levels seen during Tropical Storm Irene, which killed six people in Vermont in August 2011, washing homes off their foundations and damaging or destroying more than 200 bridges and 500 miles (805 kilometers) of highway.Ītmospheric scientists say destructive flooding events happen more frequently now because clouds carry more water as the atmosphere warms, and the planet's rising temperatures will only make it worse. We're looking at roads and bridges, some of which have been wiped out and will need basic and fundamental repairs.” The 1927 floods killed dozens of people and caused widespread destruction. “What we are looking at now are thousands of homes and businesses which have been damaged, sometimes severely. “I think we all understand we are now living through the worst natural disaster to impact the state of Vermont since (the flood of) 1927,” U.S. According to to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, even before these floods, this year has seen 12 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion in the United States. The total cost of the damage could be substantial. Phil Scott toured the disaster areas with Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, whose teams began aerial and on-the-ground damage assessments a day after President Joe Biden declared an emergency and authorized federal disaster relief. His crew has been cooking at one of the restaurants that remains functional and using ATVs through standing water to bring the meals to a local community center. But Molen said he hasn’t focused on cleaning up yet, because the first order of business has been making sure local residents and first responders stay fed. Darcy's, had a couple feet of water inside, damaging the foundation. “The only thing that’s probably gonna be salvageable is the silverware, and even then, after being in that muck for so long, you wash everything, do you really want to put that on the table? It’s pretty intense what happened,” Molen said.Īnother of his restaurants, Mr. He said Sam's Steakhouse is likely closed for good after the water inside reached nearly 7 feet (more than 2 meters) high. Similar scenes played out in neighboring Barre and in Bridgewater, where the Ottauquechee River spilled its banks, and in Ludlow, where the Black River sent floodwaters surging into several restaurants co-owned by chef Andrew Molen. “We’ve had so much enthusiasm for support for businesses downtown that most of the businesses have had to turn folks away,” said volunteer organizer Peter Walke. Volunteers turned out in droves to help flooded businesses in Montpelier, a city of 8,000, shoveling mud, cleaning, and moving damaged items outside. Morrison said urban search and swift water rescue teams came to the aid of least 32 people and numerous animals Tuesday night in northern Vermont's Lamoille County, bringing the total to more than 200 rescues since Sunday, and more than 100 evacuations.
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