Vermont is bracing for catastrophic flood disaster as the dam near the capital Montpelier could fail
The Vermont capital has been cut off by catastrophic flooding that threatens to break the city’s dam as forecasters warn more rain is on the way.
More than seven centimeters of water fell on Montpelier in 22 hours – beating meteorologists’ forecasts of 15 centimeters over 24 hours – as ‘tidal wave’ rains battered the capital, trapping some residents in their homes.
The National Weather Service has warned that more rain is on the way for the state, which is at “most risk” due to the downpours currently hitting several northeastern states.
President Biden declared a state of emergency in Vermont overnight and ordered federal aid to support local rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, city manager William Fraser called the situation “potentially dangerous” and warned that the Wrightsville Dam just north of Montpelier has “only six feet of storage capacity left.”
More than seven centimeters of water fell on Montpellier over 22 hours – beating the earlier forecast of 15 centimeters in 24 hours – as ‘tidal wave’ rains battered the capital. Pictured: Devastation in Ludlow, Vermont on Tuesday
President Biden declared a state of emergency in Vermont overnight and ordered federal aid to support local rescue efforts
He added that people in “high-risk areas” should move to “upper floors of their homes” due to limited evacuation options in some parts as police closed dozens of roads.
“If the water exceeds capacity, the first spillway will release water into the North Branch River,” Fraser said.
“This has never happened since the dam was built, so there is no precedent for potential damage.
“A large amount of water would enter Montpelier, which would drastically increase the existing flood damage.
“This will be especially bad along the North Branch River corridor and into downtown.
‘Unfortunately, there are very few evacuation options left. People in high-risk areas may want to move to the upper floors of their homes.’
“Computer and radio systems at the police station could become unusable if flood waters increase,” he added.
The National Weather Service said more rain is on the way for the crisis-hit region.
“Dangerous, widespread flash flooding due to excessive rainfall is expected throughout New England through Tuesday morning,” they said.
“Highest risk for Vermont with expected impact on transit routes.”
City manager William Fraser called the situation “potentially dangerous” and warned that the Wrightsville dam near Montpelier “has only six feet of storage capacity left.”
The National Weather Service said more rain is on the way for the crisis-hit state, which is ranked as “highest risk” by the flooding
Vermont State Police posted shocking videos of massive torrents of water rushing through Montpelier on Monday, with more rain on Tuesday and some residents unable to leave their homes
The service said 7.33 inches of rain inundated the worst-hit parts of Montpelier for just 22 hours until 9:30 p.m. Monday.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said late Monday they expected two dams to drain water overnight, causing “severe flooding” downstream likely to affect several cities.
The Vermont State Police said in a warning: “Dangerous flooding continues this afternoon across most of Vermont.
Nearly three dozen state highways are closed due to high water, and additional closures are possible as rivers and streams continue to rise. This figure excludes city roads.”
Footage from Monday showed Ludlow, Vermont, seemingly submerged as roads turned into rivers amid the devastating deluge.
The Vermont Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management stated that rapid water rescue teams were operating “primarily in the cities of Londonderry, Weston, Bridgewater, Andover, Ludlow and Middlesex.”
Montpelier Town Manager Bill Fraser estimated on Monday night that knee-high waters had reached much of the center and it was expected to rise a few more feet during the night.
Montpelier was largely spared from Tropical Storm Irene, which hit the region in 2011.
“For us, this is much worse than Irene,” he said. “We got water, but it went up and down.”
“Some basements were flooded, but it didn’t last long,” said Fraser, who compared this flood to the Montpelier Ice Jams in 1992.
“We are completely swamped. The water is much, much higher than it ever got during Irene.’
During Irene, Vermont received 28 inches of rain in 24 hours.
Irene killed six in the state, washed homes off their foundations, and damaged or destroyed more than 200 bridges and 500 miles of highway.
Dozens of roads are closed in Vermont due to the flooding, leaving residents no choice but to take to the upper floors of their homes for shelter
Vermont Urban Search and Rescue crews from North Carolina, Michigan and Connecticut were among those who helped rescue residents from cut-off Vermont towns
Montpelier Town Manager Bill Fraser estimated on Monday night that knee-high waters had reached much of the center and were expected to rise several more feet over the course of the night
“This is an all hands on deck event,” Vermont Governor Phil Scott told a news conference.
It comes as devastating downpours, blocked roads and battered homes on the East Coast, and a newly engaged woman was killed when water thundered into her New York home while trying to save her dog.
Vermont Urban Search and Rescue’s Mike Cannon said crews from North Carolina, Michigan and Connecticut were among those helping get to cities that have been inaccessible since torrential rains girdled the state.
The cities of Londonderry and Weston were inaccessible, Cannon said, and rescuers were on their way to conduct welfare checks.