Vermont residents stranded in ‘catastrophic’ flooding as dam threatens to burst
Devastating floods batter Vermont as water levels continue to rise
Some 117 rescues have been made in Vermont amid extreme flooding, public officials said on Tuesday, with 67 people evacuated from homes, businesses and vehicles and 17 animals rescued.
The city of Montpelier warned that a dam near the state capital is dangerously close to capacity.
“The Wrightsville Dam only has 6 feet of storage capacity left,” the city wrote on Tuesday after a slow-moving, moisture-packed storm dumped two months’ worth of rain on Vermont in 48 hours.
“If water exceeds capacity, the first spillway will release water into the North Branch River. This has never happened since the dam was built so there is no precedent for potential damage.”
Officials warned that with “very few evacuation options remaining”, people in at-risk areas in the Montpelier area may wish to go to upper floors in their houses.
Other Northeast regions are beginning to survey what is expected to be a long and expensive recovery from the extreme downpours which NY Governor Kathy Hochul declared it a “1-in-1,000-year weather event” caused by the climate crisis.
One woman died in New York after she was swept away in floodwaters while trying to escape her home with her dog.
Biden calls Vermont governor from Europe
President Biden called Vermont Governor Phil Scott on Tuesday from Europe where he was attending the annual NATO summit in Lithuania.
“Just got off the phone with [POTUS] Joe Biden, who offered his full support and that of the entire federal government as Vermont responds to historic flooding. I appreciate the President and his entire team for their support, hard work and close collaboration,” Governor Scott tweeted.
Louise Boyle11 July 2023 20:49
Pictured: Traversing the floodwaters
A person rows a paddle board in a flooded area in Montpelier, Vermont on Tuesday, July 11, 2023
(REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
Louise Boyle11 July 2023 20:30
The US braces for more extreme weather in coming days
Despite heavy rainfall being expected to ease later on Tuesday over New England, more extreme weather was brewing across the United States.
There was risk of heavy rainfall on Tuesday in the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley, the National Weather Service said in its short-term outlook.
Texas and other parts of the Southwest will continue to get extreme heat with advisories, watches and warnings in effect from Florida and Texas to California.
Some parts of Florida would experience record-tying/breaking temperatures in the coming days. When combined with the humidity, the “real feel” of the heat will range between 105-110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Eastern Texas will hit the upper 90s to low 100s on Tuesday, spreading northward into additional portions of the Southern Plains and Central Plains on Wednesday. High humidity will lead to heat indices up to 110F here as well.
West Texas, as well as the Desert Southwest, will not see as much humidity but the air temperature will be hotter, ranging between the mid-100s to mid-110s, posing a similarly high risk of heat-related impacts.
Louise Boyle11 July 2023 20:10
Watch: Are global floods getting worse?
Are global floods getting worse?
Louise Boyle11 July 2023 19:51
President Biden declares state of emergency
President Joe Biden, who is in Vilnius, Lithuania, attending the annual NATO summit, declared an emergency exists in Vermont and authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help coordinate disaster relief efforts and provide assistance.
The White House will continue to monitor the effects of the flooding, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing Tuesday, urging people in affected areas “to please, please be safe, and follow safety protocols.” Associated Press
Louise Boyle11 July 2023 19:30
Dozens rescued in Vermont
Some 117 rescues have been made in Vermont amid extreme flooding, public officials said on Tuesday, with 67 people evacuated from homes, businesses and vehicles and 17 animals rescued.
Emergency services work following flooding, in Montpelier, Vermont
(Neal P. Goswami via REUTERS)
Louise Boyle11 July 2023 19:10
Pictured: Vermont residents check on relatives amid extreme flooding
Kaleb McIntire, 33, wades into floodwaters surrounding his aunt’s home near the Ottauquechee River in Bridgewater, Vt., on Monday
(AP)
Louise Boyle11 July 2023 18:50
City of Montpelier has one of biggest floods on record
The city of Montpelier reported that the flooding is among the worst in its history.
“This is higher than 1992 and both 2011 flood events.”
Louise Boyle11 July 2023 18:28
Watch: Heavy rainfall and dangerous flooding continue for third day in the Northeast
US: Heavy Rainfall, Dangerous Flooding Continue For 2nd Day In Northeast 5
Louise Boyle11 July 2023 18:10
Railroad tracks have been left suspended 100 feet in the area after the extreme flooding in Vermont washed away extraordinary amounts of land beneath them. The Weather Channel shared the images from Ludlow, Vermont where eight inches of rain fell in the space of day.
Louise Boyle11 July 2023 17:50
