Devastating floods batter Vermont as water levels continue to rise
Vermont is beginning the long and gruelling clean-up from severe flooding this week which is so catastrophic that it can be seen from space.
And it wasn’t alone: other Northeastern states were facing their own expensive recoveries from major, slow-moving storms which dumped months-worth of rain over a few days.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared it a “1-in-1,000-year weather event” caused by the climate crisis. A woman died in New York after she was swept away while trying to escape her home with her dog.
Some 117 rescues were made in Vermont as the towns of Londonderry and Weston remained largely inaccessible on Wednesday. Officials were beginning to assess how many homes had been destroyed and what the financial cost would be from damaged roads, bridges and railway.
In the state capital, Montpelier, a dam on the outskirts appeared to have stabilized after it came dangerously close to breaching. “That is one less thing we have to have on our front burner,” Montpelier Town Manager Bill Fraser said.
Public officials warned drivers to monitor closures and avoid traversing water-covered roadways. With more rainfall expected from Thursday across New England, there may be additional closures, New England Compass said.
