Catastrophic, life-threatening flooding expected in Vermont starting Sunday
The National Weather Service expects two to five inches of rain throughout much of the state and more than seven inches in some areas. Gov. Phil Scott declared a state of emergency Sunday afternoon ahead of expected flash flooding.
By Paul Heintz
July 9, 2023, 2:42 pm
Updated at 10:58 p.m.
Vermont could face catastrophic, life-threatening flooding as a deluge of rain meets saturated soils and swelling waterways, officials warned Sunday. The forecast prompted Gov. Phil Scott to declare a state of emergency that afternoon.
“It’s flooding that we haven’t seen in over a decade,” said Matthew Clay, a Burlington-based meteorologist for the National Weather Service. “This could be similar to the flooding that we saw with (Tropical Storm) Irene in some places.”
The weather service issued a statewide flood watch from Sunday afternoon through Monday evening. Forecasters said to expect two to five inches of rain throughout much of Vermont by Tuesday morning — and more than seven inches in some areas. Southern Vermont and the spine of the Green Mountains are expected to be hit hardest, according to Clay.
Flash floods are likely overnight, Clay said, particularly in low-lying areas and those near streams and rivers. Larger rivers could continue to rise through Tuesday morning.
In an executive order declaring the state of emergency, the governor wrote that the rainfall was likely to cause “widespread damage” and pose “a threat to property and public safety in Vermont.” Scott called for the activation of the State Emergency Operations Center and authorized the Vermont National Guard to respond to emergencies.
The Department of Public Safety, the Agency of Transportation and other state agencies were preparing to work overnight Sunday to assist municipalities with their response, according to Vermont Emergency Management. Swiftwater rescue teams were staged throughout the state to help with potential evacuations, VEM said, and other crews from outside Vermont may join the effort in the coming days.
Most of Vermont has seen two to eight inches of rain over the past week, according to Clay, exacerbating the risks of the coming storm. On Friday, flash flooding and a mudslide closed roads in Killington and briefly stranded people, VTDigger reported.
“It’s just kind of the worst-case scenario after getting all this rainfall,” Clay said.
https://vtdigger.org/2023/07/09/catastrophic-life-threatening-flooding-expected-in-vermont-starting-sunday/