Thunderstorms and torrential rain brought another wave of violent floods Tuesday that caved in roads, crushed vehicles, pushed homes off their foundations and led to dramatic boat rescues in north-eastern Vermont, nearly three weeks after flooding from Hurricane Beryl.
Vermont has experienced four flooding events in the last year, due to a combination of the climate crisis and the state’s mountainous geography, said Peter Banacos, science and operations officer with the weather service. Greater rainfall has made the state and its steep terrain more susceptible to flooding, he said.
The state’s soil has also been more frequently saturated, and that increases the possibility of flooding, Banacos said.
Flash flood warnings remained in effect through Tuesday afternoon hours after some areas got 6 to more than 8in (150 to more than 200mm) starting late the night before.
The fresh flooding yielded similar scenes of catastrophe to the flooding weeks earlier, but on a smaller scale. Cars and trucks were smashed and covered in mud; several homes were destroyed and pushed downstream; utility poles and power lines were knocked down; and asphalt roads yielded to cliffs in spots where roadbeds were carved away.