A swath of the Northeast was underwater Tuesday and bracing for more drenching rains as swift water rescue teams raced to extricate trapped residents from besieged homes and communities.
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, adding that “creeks and streams may rise out of their banks.”
Flash flood warnings and advisories were in effect for much of the state from the Massachusetts line north to the Canadian border.
Roads flooded in Vermont, 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. The 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. Governor 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.
Scores of swift water rescues already conducted in Vermont
Montpelier Town Manager Bill Fraser warned that the Wrightsville Dam could exceed capacity, and unprecedented and dangerous situation for city residents. 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.”
The city was reaching out to other cities and event states for swift water rescue teams. Crews from North Carolina, Michigan and Connecticut were among those helping to get to Vermont towns left inaccessible by floodwaters. By Tuesday the teams have performed more than 50 rescues, mainly in the southern and central areas of the state, Vermont Emergency Management said.
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
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