Vermont Flooding Is Worst In A Century Due To Tropical Storm Irene

MONTPELIER, Vt. -- Vermont's governor says the state is enduring its worst flooding in about a century.

Gov. Peter Shumlin says state officials had been preparing for the worst, and in some parts of the state the worst happened.

Shumlin says officials have moved from crisis management to assessing the damage. He says he's planning to tour the state Monday in a National Guard helicopter.

Tropical Storm Irene left almost 50,000 Vermont customers without power. Hundreds of roads are closed and the state lost at least three historic covered bridges. Some communities also are cut off.

Officials at one point thought they might have to flood the state capital, Montpelier, to relieve pressure on a dam. But by Monday morning that threat had abated.

Comments

[Dragontech]

01:59 PM on 08/29/2011

As a Vermonter living in Seattle, this is very distressing to see. My heart goes out to all those living in the Green Mountain State. May your strength and resilience not fail you. Show the world what kind of people grow in those green hills.
While it is very sad that three of the old covered bridges that survived even the 1927 flood are gone, they are just wood and time. Rebuild them so our roads keep their charm, but look after the human victims first.

[GeoNorth]

11:47 AM on 08/29/2011

I'm stuck 15 miles from my house. I got a message thrugh to them and I got one back even though all phone service in little Pittsfield is out. So are all bridges in and out of town. In Bethel, where I'm staying with friends, some fo the damage is heartbreaking. Some houses are gone, while others might as well be. Unfortunately, Bethel was pretty unprepared last night.

[Catriona]

11:13 AM on 08/29/2011

This rivals the damage done in western MA, NH, and VT during the Hurricane of 1938. Also called The New England Hurricane of 1938, or The Great New England Hurricane, The Yankee Clipper, The Long Island Express or The Great Hurricane of 1938.

Between 700 and 800 hundred people were killed.

[keene]

10:32 AM on 08/29/2011

I wonder how Chelsea, Vt. fared?

[Stan Brinkman]

10:12 AM on 08/30/2011

About 7 to eight houses on the south side of the village and the Heath Field went under water. Tunbridge, South Royalton, and Bethel had it much worse. At on point a whole house floated under the South Royalton Bridge. South Royalton lost a number of houses. One farmer lost a dairy herd down the river. In Leb. NH JCPenny Kols and the other stores had 4 to 5 feet of water in them. We have about 220 unbelivable photos of just some of the damage all over the state. I really hope that other parts of the country realize what has happened and that Vermont needs help.

[keene]

08:47 PM on 08/30/2011

thanks for filling me in, Stan. I lived in Chelsea many moons ago.