Thunderstorms and torrential rains unleashed another wave of violent floods in northeastern Vermont on Tuesday. The flash floods in Vermont caved in roads, crushed vehicles, and pushed homes off their foundations, leading to dramatic boat rescues. This flooding occurred nearly three weeks after the state was impacted by Hurricane Beryl. Flash flood warnings were in effect throughout the day, with some areas receiving between 15 to 20 cm of rain, starting late the previous night.

Communities Hit Hard by the Floods

The Lyndonville area, located about 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Montpelier, the state capital, was particularly hard hit. Deryck Colburn, a resident of the village, described the terrifying experience of waking up to the sound of rushing water and tumbling boulders. “I went down the road to her house, and there was no road. There was just a river,” Colburn recalled, highlighting the extent of the destruction.

In addition to Lyndonville, the nearby town of St Johnsbury and the area around Morgan, near the Canada border, experienced significant rainfall. The heavy rains ruined roads, destroyed vehicles, and damaged homes. The local police issued a “shelter in place” advisory for St Johnsbury, a town of about 6,000 people, due to the dangerous conditions.

The Vermont emergency management agency‘s swift water rescue teams conducted approximately two dozen rescues in the hardest-hit areas late Monday and early Tuesday. Many residents, however, found themselves taking matters into their own hands. Jason Pilbin of Lyndonville recounted waking up to the sound of boulders rolling down the road. He used a headlamp and flashlight to help neighbours evacuate and retrieve their medications just before their house broke in half.

Pilbin expressed relief at being able to help his neighbours this time, as he had been unable to save a man who drowned in floodwaters earlier in the month. “It’s been rough,” he said, reflecting on the recent events.

The Impact and Looking Forward

The recent flooding is part of a series of extreme weather events that have affected Vermont over the past year, including significant flooding earlier in July from Hurricane Beryl. The continuous rainfall has made the state more susceptible to flooding due to its mountainous terrain and increasingly saturated soil. Peter Banacos, a science and operations officer with the weather service, noted that the climate crisis is contributing to the greater rainfall and subsequent flooding events in the region.

In St Johnsbury, Vanessa Allen described the scene as “apocalyptic,” with huge craters and rushing water blocking roads. “It’s just all unbelievable how bad the roads are. We’re trapped. We can’t go anywhere,” she lamented, expressing the frustration and helplessness felt by many residents.

As Vermont continues to recover from these devastating floods, the focus will likely be on improving infrastructure resilience and addressing the underlying factors contributing to the frequency and severity of such events. The flash floods in Vermont and the changing climate present ongoing challenges that require careful planning and community preparedness.

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