They say history doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes.
The flooding that began Wednesday night — on the exact anniversary of last year’s devastating floods, and in some of the same communities, same roads, same farms, same homes — rhymed with cruel precision.
The storms raged diagonally across the state’s northern half, from Addison County to Essex County.
Up to 6 inches of rain fell in some areas, and rivers spilled toward homes that people had recommitted to, by choice or by necessity, after the last floods. Waters destroyed newly restored bridges, lawns and trails.
Dozens of people and pets were rescued from their homes and vehicles in Berlin, Underhill, Barre, Richmond, Middlesex, Northfield, Moretown, Greensboro, Lyndon and Stowe, including 50 people in Lyndonville.
An apartment building in Plainfield was largely swept away.
A 33-year-old man in Peacham died, police said, after a culvert was breached and his UTV was swept away.
Public water supplies were impacted; Lyndonville grappled with a do-not-drink notice, and there were boil water notices in Barnet, Plainfield, St. Johnsbury and Barre City.
As waters receded, volunteer groups that formed after last year’s floods sprang into action again, knowing all too well how to pump out and muck out.
And Vermonters once again considered the reality of more extreme rain events largely tied to the burning of fossil fuels, and the types of development patterns and river morphology that can make flooding more serious.
More: How to help Vermont communities reeling from July 2024 floods
By the evening, all river gauges that had recorded a major flood stage showed waters receding, except for the Winooski River at Essex Junction, whose rise was beginning to slow.
Caledonia County remains under a flood warning until the early morning hours on Friday.
The National Weather Service in Burlington said flooded roads are expected to isolate towns like East Burke, West Burke, Lyndonville and St. Johnsbury. And homes and businesses on Route 5 along the Passumpsic River from Lyndonville to St. Johnsbury are expected to flood.
Live updates: Find the latest flooding information on Vermont Public's live blog
Safety and resources
Important safety information:
- Shelters are open in Barre (Barre Auditorium, 16 Auditorium Hill) and St. Johnsbury (St. Johnsbury School, 257 Western Ave.).
- Respect road closures and do not attempt to drive or walk across flooded areas.
- Rivers are running fast and contain debris. They are unsafe for swimming and recreation.
Links to key resources:
- See a map of impacts across the state.
- For road closure information, visit newengland511.org or @511VT on Twitter.
- To request cleanup help from volunteers and groups, call the Crisis Cleanup hotline at 802-242-2054.
- For mental health support, call 9-8-8.
- To offer donations through state organizers, call 888-653-7715 or email donations@vermont.gov.
- To register to volunteer through state government, register at vermont.gov/volunteer.
- You can sign up for alerts from the state at vtalert.gov.
- The latest forecasts and water levels for specific rivers are provided by the National Water Prediction Service.
- Find flood safety information in multiple languages at vem.vermont.gov/preparedness/floods.
- Find power outage information at vtoutages.org.
- Find flood-prone areas near you with the Vermont Flood Ready Atlas.
- To find more resources and other services, call Vermont 2-1-1 or visit vermont211.org.
Samantha Watson and Lola Duffort contributed reporting.
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