Surging River Threatens Vermont’s Capital Amid Massive Flooding

ANDOVER, Vt. (AP) — A storm that dumped as much as two months of rain in two days in Vermont and different components of the Northeast introduced extra flooding Tuesday to communities marooned by water, together with the state capital, the place a dam simply upstream was threatening to overflow.
The flooding has already induced tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in injury, officers mentioned, with extra to come back: If water pours over the dam on the Winooski River that flows by means of Montpelier, it may surge by means of downtown blocks the place the floods have been already waist-high.
“Floodwaters continue to rise in some places, like our capital city, and have surpassed the levels seen during Tropical Storm Irene,” Vermont Gov. Phil Scott mentioned. Irene killed six people in Vermont in August 2011, washing houses off their foundations and damaging or destroying greater than 200 bridges and 500 miles (805 kilometers) of freeway.
The solar was out Tuesday and extra sunshine was anticipated Wednesday. But extra rain was forecast Thursday and Friday.
“We are not out of the woods,” Scott mentioned. “This is nowhere near over.” He tweeted that the roads round his home have been impassable Tuesday morning, so he needed to hike by means of the woods to succeed in the state’s emergency response middle.

Jeb Wallace-Brodeur/The Times Argus through AP)
One girl was swept away in New York. There have been no stories of accidents or deaths associated to the flooding in Vermont, the place swift-water rescue groups aided by National Guard helicopter crews have finished greater than 100 rescues, Vermont Emergency Management mentioned Tuesday.
That included an “extremely high-risk rescue” by a visiting New Hampshire workforce, of a person who determined to drive round a barricaded street, mentioned Mike Cannon of Vermont Urban Search and Rescue. “The car was washed off the roadway almost into the river,” he mentioned, urging drivers to pay attention to street closures.
Dozens of roads and highways have been closed, together with many alongside the backbone of the Green Mountains, and flash flood warnings and advisories have been in impact for a lot of the state, from the Massachusetts line to Canada.
Downtown Montpelier, a metropolis of 8,000, was swamped between the capitol building and the Winooski River. Montpelier Town Manager Bill Fraser warned that the Wrightsville Dam a number of miles to the north may exceed capability for the primary time.

Jeb Wallace-Brodeur/The Times Argus through AP
“There would be a large amount of water coming into Montpelier which would drastically add to the existing flood damage,” he mentioned, including that there are only a few evacuation choices remaining. “People in at risk areas may wish to go to upper floors in their houses.”
Just earlier than midday on Tuesday, Montpelier Police mentioned waters had risen to inside a foot of the highest of the dam, and each foot of water that goes over the spillway would double the move into the town.
Multiple rescue crews have been positioned in Montpelier, the place dispatch, police and fireplace operations have been relocated to a water therapy plant after heavy flooding at City Hall and the police and fireplace departments. Also, the radio towers they use for emergency calls should not practical, Police Chief Eric Nordenson mentioned.
Shelters have been arrange at church buildings and city halls, however a minimum of one refuge needed to shut as flooding worsened. Delivering food and water to greater than 200 folks sheltering on the Barre Municipal Auditorium has been a problem.
“We’re trying to find paths to get supplies in to them,” mentioned John Montes, American Red Cross of Northern New England regional catastrophe officer.
The slow-moving storm reached New England after hitting parts of New York and Connecticut on Sunday. Some communities obtained between 7 and 9 inches (18 centimeters and 23 centimeters) of rain by Monday night time. Towns in southwest New Hampshire had heavy flooding, and street washouts earlier within the week.

Jeb Wallace-Brodeur/The Times Argus through AP
Syd Straw, who was trapped in her home close to the small city of Weston, appreciated Tuesday’s sunshine, however mentioned she nonetheless had water in her basement and a crumbled driveway that reminded her a little bit of the Grand Canyon.
“I can hike out of my broken driveway and get onto the sliver of dirt road that remains,” she mentioned.
The Connecticut River, swollen from the heavy rains in Vermont, was anticipated to crest above flood stage Wednesday in Hartford and cities to the south, inflicting minor to average flooding, in keeping with the National Weather Service.
President Joe Biden, attending the annual NATO summit in Lithuania, declared an emergency for Vermont and approved the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist coordinate catastrophe reduction efforts and supply help.
FEMA despatched a workforce to Vermont, together with emergency communications tools, and is ready to maintain shelters provided if the state requests it. The company is also monitoring flooding in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire, regional spokesperson Dennis Pinkham mentioned Tuesday.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre urged folks on Tuesday “to please, please be safe, and follow safety protocols.”

Road crews cleared particles Tuesday, reopening Interstate 89 because it follows the river between Montpelier and Middlesex. Rescuers from North Carolina, Michigan and Connecticut joined Vermonters in amongst these reaching cities that had been remoted since torrents of rain started belting the state.
One of the worst-hit locations was New York’s Hudson Valley, the place a lady recognized by police as Pamela Nugent, 43, died as she tried to flee her flooded dwelling along with her canine within the hamlet of Fort Montgomery.
The U.S. Military Academy at West Point was pounded with greater than 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain that despatched particles sliding onto some roads and washed others out.
“Nine inches of rain in this community,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said during a briefing on a muddy avenue in Highland Falls, simply south of the academy on the west financial institution of the Hudson River. “They’re calling this a ‘1,000 year event.’”
Atmospheric scientists say destructive flooding events like these occur extra frequently as storms type in a hotter ambiance, and the planet’s rising temperatures will solely make it worse.
Minchillo reported from Highland Falls, New York. Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Michael Hill in Albany, New York; and Mark Pratt and Steve LeBlanc in Boston contributed.