State officials have downgraded the flood risk to communities across Vermont today after the National Weather Service revised forecasted rainfall totals for the region.
All counties in Vermont except Grand Isle remain under a flood watch through 7 a.m. Thursday. But Eric Forand, director of Vermont Emergency Management, said the NWS delivered a briefing late Wednesday morning in which they downgraded potential rainfall totals.
Forand said meteorologists also say they’re expecting far less snowpack to melt as a result of the precipitation.
“So this will reduce the amount of water that mixes in with the rain to create any potential flooding through the rivers,” he said. “And the rain will change back to snow midnight tonight, about the same time the rivers will crest.”
Two rivers — the Otter Creek in Rutland and the Walloomsac in Bennington — are still forecast to reach moderate flood stage today or tomorrow. The Mad River in Moretown, and the Winooski in Waterbury and Essex Junction, are forecast to hit minor flood stages. The Lamoille River in Johnson and the Connecticut River in Wells were previously forecast to hit minor flood stage as well, but Forand said they’ve been removed from the watch list after the latest briefing from NWS.
VEM has opened its “enhanced operations center,” according to Forand, and is coordinating with the Agency of Human Services, Agency of Transportation and the National Guard to mobilize flood-response resources if needed.
Forand said 13 municipal and three state search and rescue teams are on standby “and ready to respond as necessary.
Eric Myskowski, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Burlington, said Tuesday that locations across parts of eastern Vermont could be at particular flood risk. Those areas will see the heaviest rainfall and they also have a sizeable snow pack that could melt and add to the rivers.
Myskowski said other rivers are forecast to reach "minor" flood stage before the rain event is over Thursday morning.
None are expected to go as high as the historic floods of 2023 and 2024.
The National Weather Service reminds motorists not to drive through flooded areas.
We know people are concerned about the flood potential today. We want to be sure to communicate the flood threat is still present, but the latest data suggests the magnitude of impacts will not be as significant as last year. Remain weather-aware as we watch river rises tonight. pic.twitter.com/jNcdh4XIMi
— NWS Burlington (@NWSBurlington) December 11, 2024
Key resources:
- For road closure information, visit newengland511.org or @511VT on Twitter.
- For mental health support, call 9-8-8.
- 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 services, and to report flood damage, call Vermont 2-1-1 or visit vermont211.org.
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