LYNDONVILLE, Vt. (WCAX) – Recovery efforts are underway in Lyndonville after another round of devastating flash flooding.
It’s hard to find the words to convey just how much damage one neighborhood in Lyndonville sustained in the second flood to hit the village in just a month.
“Just how quickly things change in life. That’s what went through my head. And the devastation in my heart,” said Valerie Friend, after seeing her home on Red Village Road for the first time since floods swept through her neighborhood.
A layer of mud coats the living room floor but their belongings are safe.
Friend says she’s in good shape compared to some of her neighbors.
“They not only lost their home, but I mean, how you’re going to decide what property is theirs?” she said.
One neighbor’s house was turned 90 degrees and split down the middle, her car suspended in fallen trees.
Another neighbor tumbled down nearby Sheldon Brook in her tiny house for half a mile before she was rescued.
Down the road, Edward James’ RV teeters over the river.
“If we get some more rain it probably will go over the riverbank,” James said.
As a construction worker, James has helped many Vermonters rebuild after floods. Now, it’s hitting closer to home.
“I thought, ‘Oh, my god, I just couldn’t imagine going through that.’ And now here I am going through it,” he said. “Just unbelievable.”
Road washouts across the village have left many stranded a hike through the woods away from help.
Lyndonville Police Chief Jack Harris says he’s most concerned about the town’s vast population of older people.
“Many of our older folks there, they don’t want to leave their house,” he said. “It’s all they have, but by the time they realize they’re having a medical emergency, it’s going to be very difficult to get people into them.”
Harris says construction crews are working from either end of Red Village Road to create a solid path for emergency vehicles and utility crews to drive through. He estimates it could be a week or more before power is restored to the 100 Lyndonville residents still in the dark.
Lyndonville officials are urging residents to keep an eye on the forecast and stick to safe ground.
Our meteorologists say the parts of Lyndonville that saw the worst damage got 2.75 inches of rain, which is less than the 3-4 inches the town saw earlier this month. However, the ground already being saturated may have contributed to Tuesday’s flooding.
There are still road closures across the Northeast Kingdom.
- Route 2 in St. Johnsbury is closed between Vermont 18 and Spaulding Road is closed to through traffic due to multiple slope failures and flood damage in the area.
- A bridge washed out on Route 114 in East Burke and there is a closure at the intersection of routes 114 and 111 in Morgan.
- There is another road closure on 111 in Morgan, as well as a closure on 105 in Brighton.
Some good news for commuters in St. Johnsbury– Route 5 by the police barracks and Route 2 east of Severance Hill are both open to one lane.
Check NewEngland511.org for the latest closures. This does not cover local roads. For those who are driving, watch for unexpected closures and heed all road signs and warnings.
Click here for the latest forecast from the WCAX Max Advantage Weather Team.