MONTPELIER, Vt. − A swath of the Northeast was underwater Tuesday and bracing for more drenching rains as swift-water rescue teams raced to extricate residents from besieged homes and communities.
In downtown Montpelier, Vermont, as waters began to recede Tuesday afternoon, stunned residents still struggled to traverse the capital city’s main streets, some resorting to kayaks and other boats. In places the smell of paint thinner and garbage hung heavy in the air.
Floodwaters typically contain a toxic stew of chemicals pulled from inundated buildings, from gasoline and paint to sewage and household cleaners and these Vermont floodwaters were no different.
The flooding struck at the height of Vermont’s summer tourist, season, and many locals worried it would pile yet another challenge upon already struggling local businesses.
Vermont was hardest hit
Areas of Vermont were among the hardest hit, blasted by up to 9 inches of rain. President Joe Biden on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in the state.
“Widespread, heavy rainfall capable of producing considerable to catastrophic flooding is beginning to unfold,” the National Weather Service said in a statement Tuesday. “Road washouts are ongoing, and are expected to increase in extent and severity over the course of the day.”
Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone locations, the statement warned, and “creeks and streams may rise out of their banks.”
Flash flood warnings and advisories were in place for much of the state from the Massachusetts line north to the Canadian border.
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott warned that the flooding was not over and that waters were still rising in some places.
“We are not out of the woods,” he said at a news conference early Tuesday. “This is nowhere near over.”
Authorities said they had rescued more than 100 people as of early Tuesday, including dozens from flooded buildings, homes and cars. They urged people to heed barricades and signage and avoid areas with the worst flooding, including downtown Montpelier.
Police, emergency resources ‘spread very thin’
Emergency response systems in Vermont’s capital were not working or were “spread very thin” Tuesday, officials said.
Three radio towers used to dispatch ambulances and fire crews in Washington County were “not functional and Washington Electric has been notified to attempt repairs,” the Montpelier Police Department said in an update Tuesday.
Dispatch, police and fire employees from Montpelier were moved to a water treatment plant in a nearby town because of heavy flooding at the police department’s basement, at city hall and at the fire department, police said.
“Our rescue crews, DPW staff, dispatchers and first responders are spread very thin and will need time to assess the damage,” police said.
People were urged to call dispatchers only in “an extreme emergency” because first responders were at “max capacity.”
Paddling through Montpelier
Gavin Young, 18, and Alaina Beauregard, 19, paddled a green canoe across downtown Montpelier on Tuesday just before noon, looking for gas. The two have been housesitting and realized that without gas, they wouldn’t be able to get anywhere once the waters receded.
“It was just, ‘Whoa.’ It becomes real when you see it,” Beauregard said. She said the house she was watching is on higher ground and untouched by flooding.
“We are witnessing a powerful act of nature,” Young said. “Being able to canoe on the streets we grew up on? It’s sort of an amazing feeling, but then you see all the stores underwater and all the damaged goods.”
Across the small city, fire alarms screeched as shop owners tried to access their properties and mourned the destruction.
Kelly Tackett, who owns the Minikin children’s store on State Street, said she allowed her catastrophic insurance policy to lapse last month because business has been so slow.
“What can I do? It’s wild. It’s eerie. But somehow I’m not overly worried, because what can I do?” Tackett said. “I didn’t take the warnings seriously at first. It didn’t even cross my mind to do that, but thankfully I dragged my kids down and we raised everything up 2 feet.”
Roads flooded across much of Northeast
In Vermont, several miles of Interstate 89 were closed for hours in both directions between the capital of Montpelier and Middlesex. Social media posts showed water rushing like rivers through the streets of Montpelier and other cities, and kayakers paddling around Montpelier. State police said dozens of roads were closed across the state.
In New York state, where rain totals in some areas surpassed 8 inches, road closures swept across Orange, Westchester, Ulster, Putnam, Dutchess and Rockland Counties. Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for Orange and Ontario counties.
The lone death from the flooding was reported in New York’s Hudson Valley, where police said Pamela Nugent, 43, died as she tried to escape her flooded home with her dog in the hamlet of Fort Montgomery, 50 miles north of New York City.
Real-time River Water Level Observation
Scores of swift-water rescues, dam threat in Vermont
Montpelier Town Manager Bill Fraser warned the Wrightsville Dam could exceed capacity, an unprecedented and dangerous possibility for the city. Evacuations could become difficult to impossible, he said.
“There would be a large amount of water coming into Montpelier, which would drastically add to the existing flood damage,” he said. “People in at-risk areas may wish to go to upper floors in their houses.”
Crews from North Carolina, Michigan and Connecticut were among those helping rescuers to get to Vermont towns left inaccessible by floodwaters. As of early Tuesday, the teams had performed more than 50 rescues, mainly in the southern and central areas of the state, Vermont Emergency Management said.
Ludlow, Londonderry, Chester among worst-hit Vermont towns
Troy Caruso, who owns a golf course, five restaurants and a motel in Ludlow, Vermont, has been monitoring damage to his properties and elsewhere in the town of about 800 people. A supermarket and shopping center were “wiped out,” he said, as was a steakhouse and possibly a burger joint he owned.
“It’s flooded beyond belief,” Caruso said, noting that the 10th hole of his golf course was underwater.
Vermont state Rep. Kelly Pajala said she was among several people evacuated from a four-unit apartment building on the West River in Londonderry because “the river was at our doorstep. We threw some dry clothes and our cats into the car and drove to higher ground.”
The Chester Fire Department rescued a man from a flooded creek, and photos from Wilmington showed a basketball court with water reaching to within a few feet of the baskets.
How to cancel your Airbnb or Vrbo
Travelers thinking twice about a trip in the wake of the flooding have some options.
Those who have a booking on vacation rental platform Airbnb can cancel via its website or mobile app. Travelers can find the cancellation policy and options for their reservation under “Trips.”
Airbnb also has an extenuating circumstances policy that covers natural disasters, government-declared local or national emergencies and other unforeseen disruptions. “Guests that are impacted by an event covered by this Policy can cancel their reservation and receive, depending on the circumstances, a cash refund, travel credit, and/or other consideration,” the platform said on its website.
In cases where that policy applies, it supersedes the booking’s cancellation policy, though it does not cover “weather or natural conditions that are common enough to be foreseeable in that location,” among other exclusions. The policy also does not apply to Luxe bookings, which have a separate refund policy.
After travelers read the extenuating circumstances policy to see if their booking is covered, they can select “I have an extenuating circumstance” while canceling the stay or experience and contact Airbnb to file a claim. Guests must submit their claim within 14 days of canceling.
Those who have a reservation booked with Vrbo can cancel via “My Trips” after signing into their account. They can find the property’s cancellation policy under “Trip Details.” Refunds are issued based on the property’s cancellation policy.
“If a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, earthquake, or tornado, impacts your reservation, and you require immediate assistance finding alternative accommodation, please contact us,” Vrbo said on its website. Those who have not left for their trip yet should contact their host.
– Nathan Diller
Biden declaration aims to ease ‘hardship and suffering’
Biden authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief, with “the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population.” Gov. Phil Scott said the declaration, covering all 14 counties, allows state and federal authorities more flexibility to deploy desperately needed equipment and resources.
4 million facing flood watches, warnings in Northeast
Almost 4 million people across parts of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine faced flood warning, watches or alerts. Six swift-water rescue teams were activated in New York state.
Check back for updates.
Contributing: The Associated Press
