Flooding in Vermont prompted by remnants of Hurricane Beryl -

At least one person is dead and numerous roads are closed in Vermont after the remnants of Hurricane Beryl slammed northern portions of the state with heavy rain and destructive flooding Wednesday night, exactly one year after a historic flood hit the same region. The rain fell in less than 12 hours, triggering flash floods that forced evacuations, collapsed roads and destroyed homes and an apartment building.

Rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches were common, with a few locations exceeding 7 inches, across a swath from southern Chittenden and northern Addison counties on the western side of the state, to Essex, Caledonia and northern Orange counties on the eastern side. Heavy rainfall extended west of Vermont into northeastern and northern New York, and east of Vermont into northern New Hampshire.

“I know last night’s flooding — in many of the very same communities impacted on the same day last year — is devastating for these families, business owners and community members,” Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) said on X. “My team, emergency responders and local leaders are working to help ensure public safety, and we will act as quickly as possible in recovery.”

Some of the highest rainfall totals included 7.25 inches in Walden, 6.91 inches in Mechanicsville, 6.76 inches in Hinesburg, 6.41 inches in Monkton, 6.40 inches in St. Johnsbury and 6 inches in Moretown.

Here is the first look at rainfall totals from July 10th and July 11th, 2024 (not to get confused with the same dates last year). We will continue to refine the map throughout the day so stay tuned! #vtwx #nywx pic.twitter.com/vJk87WRQFX

— NWS Burlington (@NWSBurlington) July 11, 2024

Around 3 to 4 inches of rain fell in Montpelier, Vermont’s capital. The city of Barre, about eight miles to the southeast, was particularly hard hit. Many roads and homes were flooded, and water rescues were conducted by the National Guard.

“I honestly don’t know how Barre will recover from two devastating floods in one year,” Matt Sutkoski, a weather reporter in Vermont, wrote in a summary of the storm.

The heaviest rainfall stayed south of Burlington, which received about 2 inches. In Johnson, about 40 miles to the east, the Lamoille River was “rising faster and higher than expected” toward major flood stage, said Sutkoski, who also published a photo of a destroyed house in Plainfield, about 10 miles east of Montpelier.

Residents of a small apartment building in Plainfield had only 15 minutes to evacuate, the Associated Press reported, before it was swept away by floodwaters. Many roads were impassable, and at least seven bridges were washed out near Plainfield, according to the AP. There was a report of at least one weather-related death, Vermont commissioner of safety Jennifer Morrison said in a Thursday morning news briefing.

New England 511 showed dozens of roads still closed across the northern portion of the state Thursday afternoon. Vermont State University’s Lyndon campus was also closed on Thursday. Forecasters said a few more downpours were possible Thursday, but they were not expecting additional flooding.

Beryl made landfall early Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane near Matagorda, Tex., before hammering Houston with intense rain and wind. More than 1 million customers in the Houston area were still without power on Thursday. By the time Beryl’s remnants reached Vermont, the storm system had traveled over 6,000 miles over 16 days.

Last year’s historic flooding in the same region of Vermont wasn’t associated with a tropical system but with a more typical summertime weather system and unusual surge of atmospheric moisture after a month of heavy rain beforehand. At the time, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said there was a less than 1 percent chance of such severe flooding occurring in that part of the country.

Vermont is especially vulnerable to flooding because of how water drains down its mountainous terrain into its valleys, resulting in faster-rising streams and rivers than in flatter areas. Climate change is making these types of heavy-rain and flooding events more likely, because warmer temperatures increase the amount of moisture available for storms.

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