Parts of our region are experiencing a very wet and muddy spring. For some, the rains bring up tough memories of the flooding of recent years. While we all hope 2025 doesn’t bring with it another summer of flooding, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
On Monday's Vermont Edition, our guests shared tips for preparing yourself and your home for another season of rising waters.
1. Sign up for the state's VT-ALERT service
Vermont Emergency Management director Eric Forand implored urged to make use of VT-ALERT. The service will update Vermonters about extreme weather, road closures, infrastructure alerts, culvert overflowing, and boil water notices. It's available as an app or on the state's website.
2. Identify local emergency response leaders in advance
In many towns, there are people lined up to take charge and help their neighbors find help in the case of extreme weather events. Every Vermont town has an Emergency Management Director, and every region of the state has an regional emergency management committee. These are people tasked with coordinating the community and allocating resources and personnel in the advent of a flood. Get acquainted with these officials and spread the word to your neighbors so if you find yourself in need of assistance, you know who to call.
3. Prepare your home (and your bank account)
Years ago, a Vermont Edition listener named Peg lost her home to flooding. She is now part of Cabot's Flood Resiliency Task Force. She called in to share some flood-proofing suggestions for property owners, including investing in flood shields, bulkhead protection doors, and flood insurance.
4. Get a go bag ready
Jon Copans of the Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience suggests preparing a bag of necessities, also known as a "go bag." He says that it's best to get these packed on a clear, low-stress day. "Those decisions are so much easier to make when you're not in that moment of panic and urgency," he said. "Having that list of things you know you're going to need to bring with you — and maybe even having some of those things already put together — really can make a big difference at that moment of panic." The Montpelier Commission for Recovery and Resilience has even created a worksheet for preparing your own go bag.
5. Take care of your mental health
Extreme weather can cause or contribute to mental health issues, be it anxiety, hopelessness, mourning, or depression. Megan Mathers of Northeast Kingdom Organizing and the Kingdom United Resilience and Recovery Effort says taking care of your mental health is an important aspect of remaining resilient during and after an impactful weather event. KURRVE provides services to help people stay mentally stable during an unstable time.
"It can be very lonesome out there when you're trying to address these issues, whether it's something wrong with your home or a concern about a town road. So we really need those long term recovery groups to to be there for people, and so we need to support them as much as possible, because they do such great work," she said.
Broadcast live on Monday, May 19, 2025, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.
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