Drone footage captures Vermont’s ‘catastrophic’ flooding

Jump to content Sign up to our newsletters Subscribe News Sport Voices Culture Lifestyle Travel Premium Climate News Louise Boyle , Stuti Mishra Wednesday 12 July 2023 08:32 Comments Close 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. However, water levels appeared to stabilise by night. ‘It looks like it won’t breach,’ Montpelier town manager Bill Fraser said. ‘That is good. That is one less thing we have to have on our front burner.’ Officials had earlier 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. 1689147040 Vermont flooding- Drone footage shows Montepelier underwater as dam threatened.mp4 Graeme Massie 12 July 2023 08:30 1689142904 Floodwaters receded in Vermont cities and towns pummelled by a storm that delivered two months of rain in two days, officials say, allowing the focus to be on recovery now. In the capital city of Montpelier, where streets were flooded on Tuesday by the swollen Winooski River, officials said that water levels at a dam just upstream appeared to be stable. ‘It looks like it won’t breach. That is good. That is one less thing we have to have on our front burner,’ Montpelier town manager Bill Fraser said. Mr Fraser said the dam remains a lingering concern but with the water receding the city was shifting to recovery mode. Public works employees were expected to start removing mud and debris in the downtown on Wednesday and building inspections will start as businesses begin cleaning up their properties. Stuti Mishra 12 July 2023 07:21 1689138246 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. Graeme Massie 12 July 2023 06:04 1689134860 The state wants the companies to tell consumers that the use of fossil fuel products harms the environment, Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan said after the lawsuit was filed in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington. The warnings could be similar to those noting the danger of tobacco products or food products that include nutritional and calorie information, he said. Donovan, speaking outside the Chittenden County courthouse in downtown Burlington where the lawsuit was filed, said they are not trying to prevent the companies from selling their products in the state and that Vermonters will continue to be able to use fossil fuels. ‘What we are saying is that Vermonters have the right to know,’ Donovan said. ‘Give Vermonters accurate information. Put a label on the product and let Vermonters decide.’ The suit names ExxonMobil Corporation, Shell Oil Company, Sunoco LP, CITGO Petroleum Corporation and other corporations. A spokesperson for ExxonMobil said at the time that the lawsuit was baseless and without merit and they look forward to defending the company in court. ‘Legal proceedings like this waste millions of dollars of taxpayer money and do nothing to advance meaningful actions that reduce the risks of climate change,’ he said. Citgo declined to comment on pending litigation. The other two companies did not respond to requests for comment. Graeme Massie 12 July 2023 05:07 1689131328 ‘Without further ado, we have our final rainfall map for a historic two-day rainstorm. The greatest storm total was 9.2′, with many 6-9′ amounts along and just east of the Green Mountains,’ tweeted NWS Burlington. Without further ado, we have our final rainfall map for a historic two-day rainstorm. The greatest storm total was 9.2″, with many 6-9″ amounts along and just east of the Green Mountains. pic.twitter.com/iahi7oGKIf – NWS Burlington (@NWSBurlington) July 11, 2023 Graeme Massie 12 July 2023 04:08 1689127728 ‘We have monitored the water levels at the Wrightsville Dam for the last two hours and seen no significant changes,’ MPD said on Tuesday afternoon. ‘We have been in close contact with the onsite Vermont Dam Safety Representative who believes minimal increases can be expected. We will continue to monitor the dam throughout the night. Reminder that downtown is still an active emergency area and people should stay out until after the water recedes.Thank you all for your patience and cooperation.’ Graeme Massie 12 July 2023 03:08 1689123768 ‘The roads around my house were completely impassable this morning. Grateful for the @VTVast snowmobile trail network, which I was able to hike through to get to an open road and on to our emergency response center,’ Gov Phil Scott tweeted on Tuesday. The roads around my house were completely impassable this morning. Grateful for the @VTVast snowmobile trail network, which I was able to hike through to get to an open road and on to our emergency response center. pic.twitter.com/E6ckLMkleM – Governor Phil Scott (@GovPhilScott) July 11, 2023 Graeme Massie 12 July 2023 02:02 1689120108 ‘All Customers on Montpelier’s Water System, including those connected to the system in Berlin,’ the agency stated on Tuesday. ‘Due to extreme flooding in the City of Montpelier, there is a strong possibility that your drinking water supply may become contaminated on the way to the tap. This situation presents a significant health risk to users of the above-described of the Montpelier Water System. ‘ Graeme Massie 12 July 2023 01:01 1689115788 This image made from drone footage provided by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets shows flooding in Montpelier, Vt., Tuesday, July 11, 2023. This image made from drone footage provided by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets shows flooding in Montpelier, Vt., Tuesday, July 11, 2023. This image made from drone footage provided by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets shows flooding in Montpelier, Vt., Tuesday, July 11, 2023. This image made from drone footage provided by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets shows flooding in Montpelier, Vt., Tuesday, July 11, 2023. This image made from drone footage provided by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets shows flooding in Montpelier, Vt., Tuesday, July 11, 2023. Graeme Massie 11 July 2023 23:49 1689113440 Water temperatures in the mid-90s (mid-30s Celsius) are threatening delicate coral reefs, depriving swimmers of cooling dips and adding a bit more ick to the Sunshine State’s already oppressive summer weather. Forecasters are warning of temperatures that with humidity will feel like 110 degrees (43 degrees Celsius) by week’s end. If that’s not enough, Florida is about to get a dose of dust from Africa’s Saharan desert that’s likely to hurt air quality. The Associated Press Louise Boyle 11 July 2023 23:10 East Coast Vermont northeast New York floods A still from drone footage of city blocks flooded PAUL RICHARDSON/STORYWORKZ Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in