CHESTER, Vt. (WCAX) – After parts of southern Vermont got slammed by flood waters last year, many residents continue to relive the chaos of the day.
From washed-out roads to flooded backyards, residents in the town of Chester remember the moments when nearby rivers jumped their banks.
“It was chaotic. It was mainly just trying to save everybody else and make sure my kids were safe at the same time,” said Nancy Ramos, who lost 26 farm animals — mostly rabbits — when floodwaters inundated her backyard. “Our animals are definitely a life source for us here.”
Just up the road, Donald Hancock and his family worked for months to rebuild their property. His wife and daughter were stuck on the porch, separated by roaring flood waters.
“I didn’t know what to do. I’m yelling at her to come with me. I came over, tied the rope. I was on my way back over to grab them and bring them over one at a time and she just said no, we’re staying here,” Hancock recalled.
Now, one year later, both Hancock and Ramos say the memories will linger forever. “Our daughter — she’s still affected with it every time it rains. When it rains — with that last storm we had — just sent her right back to it,” Hancock said.
“There is a little PTSD with the children. Every time it rains they automatically think there’s going to be a flood. Everybody starts running upstairs to be on the upper level,” Ramos added.
Both families have made progress rebuilding and say there’s hope that preparation will spare them in the event something like this happens again.