RICHMOND, Vt. (WCAX) – State officials say at least one person is believed to have died due to the flooding and there are still rescues underway across the state.
The remnants of Hurricane Beryl hit our region Wednesday and Thursday, prompting evacuations, knocking out bridges and roads, washing away an apartment building, and costing at least one person their life.
The disaster came a year to the day after catastrophic rainfall inundated parts of the state in 2023.
In a news briefing Thursday morning, Gov. Phil Scott said one person lost their life because of the weather. State officials say it has not yet been confirmed, but they believe that person was a male from Peacham. They say it appears the person was in a vehicle that was swept away in the floodwaters. That can not be confirmed until an autopsy.
The governor said the state’s response is ongoing and a state of emergency is now in place. He acknowledged the emotional depth of this disaster on last year’s flooding anniversary, but said we will get through this, and reminded people we are Vermont strong.
Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison said there have been dozens of swiftwater rescues and numerous evacuations. She said rescues are still actively underway in Lyndonville, and then crews will begin secondary searches in other hard-hit areas.
Officials say Central Vermont was among the hardest hit, with Moretown, Plainfield, Lyndonville, Barre, Richmond, Bolton and Williamstown all in the crosshairs of the floodwaters.
Morrison said while some rivers have already crested, the Winooski River from Waterbury to Lake Champlain has yet to crest and will likely crest Thursday night. The Passumpsic River is expected to crest Thursday afternoon. And the Lamoille River between Johnson and Jeffersonville is also expected to crest Thursday afternoon, and officials warn that Jeffersonville will then be hit with high water.
Some sewer systems and wastewater systems across the state did experience overflows, but officials say details on that are limited right now.
Vermonters are urged to call 211 if they are displaced or to report damages.
SHELTERS
Vermont Emergency Management says shelters are open at the Barre Auditorium and Williamstown Middle/High School. You can also call 211.
ROAD CLOSURES
By Thursday morning, dozens of roads were flooded, washed out or covered with debris. Some of the closures included:
- Vermont State Police say the Interstate 89 Exit 11 off-ramp in Richmond is closed due to flooding.
- Route 2 is closed in spots across the state, including Richmond, Waterbury, Plainfield and Marshfield.
- Route 5 in Barnet is closed.
- Vermont Route 62 in downtown Barre is closed, as well as Route 100 in Waterbury and Moretown.
- The Lamoille County Sheriff is asking people in Stowe to avoid driving entirely, if possible.
- Brian Smith of the Derby Selectboard says the town lost a major culvert, closing Hinman Settler Road.
For the latest on road closures, you can visit New England 511.
Officials also reported rail damage in some areas.
EVACUATIONS AND DAMAGE
WCAX News received reports of evacuations in Williamstown and on Route 5 in Lyndon.
Moretown is also under evacuation orders, and roads into the town were impassable as of early Thursday morning.
Downtown Barnet and the village of Passumpic have also been flooded.
Our Cam Smith was live in Richmond on Thursday morning, where he said Swiftwater Rescue was trying to get people out of their houses on Red Barn Lane overnight. According to officials, there have been over 40 rescues statewide.
And after getting inundated by water last year, the Central Vermont community is under the gun again. In Plainfield, our Sophia Thomas says Route 2 is already closed, and WCAX News has gotten reports of a building being swept away.
If the flooding concerns and heavy rain weren’t enough cause for concern, much of the region was under a tornado watch Wednesday night issued by the National Weather Service. There were numerous tornado warnings throughout the area, as well.
We have no confirmation of any tornados touching down in Vermont, but some viewers reported seeing what appeared to be a funnel cloud.
Share your flooding photos with us.
Again, for the latest on road closures, you can visit New England 511.
And Vermont Emergency Management says shelters are open at the Barre Auditorium and Williamstown Middle/High School. They encourage people to register for Vermont Alert to receive the latest alerts.
A reminder to never walk through floodwaters because you don’t know how deep they are.
Click here for the latest forecast from the WCAX Max Advantage Weather Team.