Update: For another way of looking at the flood impacts in Vermont, find FEMA aid data here.
The storm that devastated Vermont moved slowly over the state on July 9-10, dropping high levels of rain on soils that were already quite wet. Flash flooding swept through some communities.
Next, rivers overfilled their banks, spilling into additional areas.
In the central part of the state, North Calais led the rainfall totals with 9.2 inches, according to the National Weather Service, and Barre saw a whopping 7.8 inches of rain in the storm. Vermont's capital, Montpelier, watched as the Winooski River swelled and poured into downtown Monday evening.
Plymouth in Windsor County also ranked high in rainfall, with a member of the public measuring just over 9 inches of rain.
Select Total Rainfall and Flood stage from July 9 - 10
Rainfall totals in select Vermont towns and river gauges which reported major flood stage during the July 9-10 storm.In the southern part of the state, Weston recorded 6.8 inches of rain. The town and its neighbors, Ludlow, Londonderry and Andover, were considered by state officials to be among the hardest-hit communities as of Tuesday.
On Wednesday, state officials pointed out Lamoille County as a focus, with swift water rescues ongoing in Jeffersonville in the town of Cambridge.
Rivers across Vermont responded differently to the heavy rains.
"It's very variable because depending on how the river is oriented, how the catchment of the river basin is oriented in the terrain, different amounts of rain can lead to different river levels," said John Goff, a senior service hydrologist with the National Weather Service's Burlington office, in an interview. "You could put the same amount of rain in two different river basins, and they would rise at different rates."
According to the National Weather Service, rivers reached major flood stage at some point this week in Jeffersonville and Johnson (also indicating flooding in Hardwick and Morrisville), Montpelier (also indicating flooding in Waterbury), Rutland, Essex Junction (indicating flooding in downtown Richmond, the Intervale in Burlington, and other local areas), Rockingham and Northfield Falls. Levels of damage varied.
As the week ended, Addison County captured attention as a landslide in Ripton destroyed a home and impacted several others.
By Friday, July 14, Vermont Emergency Management was using a town-by-town map to track the level of damage. This map uses reports from local liaisons assigned by local planning commissions, said Mark Bosma, a spokesperson for Vermont Emergency Management.
There was no official definition for "major" or "minor" damage to inform these reports, Bosma said.
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Flood recovery resources
- For state road closure information, visit newengland511.org or follow @511VT on X. (For local road closures, use the Waze app or monitor town communications, such as a website or Facebook page.)
- 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 power outage information at vtoutages.org.
- To find more resources and services, and to report flood damage, call Vermont 2-1-1 or visit vermont211.org.
- For a list of state resources and guidance about flooding, visit vermont.gov/flood. The guidance includes returning home after a flood, cleaning up, and dealing with mold.
- Find flood recovery information in multiple languages at vem.vermont.gov/flood/translation.
- 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 or call or text the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990.
- To register through the state to volunteer, visit vermont.gov/volunteer.
- If flood waters reached your private well or spring, order a drinking water test kit through the Vermont Department of Health.
- Find flood-prone areas near you with the Vermont Flood Ready Atlas.
