Vermont flooding: Thousands of homes, businesses damaged

Authorities prepared Wednesday to survey damage caused by catastrophic flooding across Vermont as officials brace for the possibility of more rain.

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“I think we all understand that we are now living through the worst natural disaster to impact the state of Vermont since 1927,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said Wednesday at a news conference.

“What we are looking at now are thousands, thousands of homes and businesses which have been damaged, sometimes severely. We’re looking at roads and bridges, some of which have been wiped out and will need basic and fundamental repairs.”

The floodwaters that inundated the state Sunday as heavy rain drenched the Northeast had begun to recede Wednesday, officials said. Jennifer Morrison, the commissioner of Vermont’s Department of Public Safety, said rivers are expected to be below flood levels within 24 hours.

“Generally speaking, rivers have crested and river flooding should wind down throughout the day,” the commissioner said. She added that flooding persists in some areas, though the southern and central parts of the state “are quickly turning the corner to the recovery phase of the disaster.

“For now, things are stable in many areas across the state.”

Water rescues remained ongoing in Lamoille County in the northern part of the state.

Gov. Phil Scott said authorities were preparing Wednesday for the possibility of more flooding as forecasts predict that additional rain will fall on Thursday and Friday.

“This may not be over,” the governor said. “With rain in the forecast and nowhere for it to go, we could see waters rise again. So, it’s critical Vermonters be aware of their surroundings, remain vigilant and plan ahead.”

As of Wednesday morning, no deaths have been reported in connection with the floods. However, Morrison urged people to be precautious as recovery efforts launch.

“We need to remain vigilant in the days to come as many disaster-related deaths occur after the acute phase and during clean-up and recovery,” she said. “Vermonters, keep your guard up and don’t take chances.”

Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said the catastrophic flooding seen across the state was “very much a climate-change-related situation” after he spoke Tuesday with the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“The warmer weather, particularly over the ocean, that then comes across the country and is here in Vermont means that there’s much, much more moisture in the air,” Welch said. “So, a rainstorm pre-climate change would not have dumped in some places 9 inches of rain, but all of that moisture in the air gets turned into rain that then gets added to the volume, which is enormous.”

Officials urged people to avoid the floodwaters, which contain debris and in some cases, downed powerlines.

The heavy rain seen over the Northeast in recent days caused flash floods that claimed the life of a 35-year-old woman Sunday in New York, officials said.

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Catastrophic flooding swamps Vermont U.S. Geological Survey hydrographer Samuel Jacob measures the flooded Winooski River's discharge on July 11, 2023 in Montpelier, Vermont. He said it was 15,000-16,000 cubic feet per second. (Kylie Cooper/Getty Images)