Vermont Floodwaters ‘Continue to Rise’; Devastation Is ‘Historic And Catastrophic,’ Governor Says

The catastrophic storms that pummeled parts of the northeast U.S. over the weekend continue to wreak havoc in New England, where millions of people remained under flood watches throughout the region.

Destructive floods hit parts of eastern New York and Pennsylvania especially hard, but the most widespread damage was seen in Vermont, where floodwaters continued to rise in parts of the state as of late Tuesday morning, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said at a news conference.

“Make no mistake, the devastation we are experiencing across Vermont is historic and catastrophic,” Scott said, adding that President Joe Biden “earlier this morning, while overseas” had approved his request for disaster declaration for all 14 counties.

As rivers have continued to create “severe flooding issues” across the state, 13 swift-water rescue teams “remain extremely busy,” said Jennifer Morrison, commissioner of the Department of Public Safety.

Rescue teams from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and North Carolina have also been helping in the effort.

Since flooding hit the state on Sunday, the teams have performed 117 rescues, according to Mike Cannon, the state’s urban search and rescue program coordinator. At least 67 people and 17 animals were rescued from flooded homes, businesses, or vehicles, he said.

“Just because the rain has stopped in some areas, (it) does not mean the threat of flooding has gone away,” Scott said on social media Tuesday morning.

Early on Tuesday, officials in the state capital, Montpelier, issued an emergency health order closing parts of the city. While parts of downtown have since started to see a “slight reduction in water levels,” the area “remains flooded and is not safe for public travel,” the city said in a news update.

In New York, a devastating flash flood in the Hudson Valley claimed the life of a woman in her mid-30s. The slow-moving storm also caused the temporary suspension of train service on some Metro-North lines.

“Last night the Hudson Valley received a month’s worth of rain in just a few hours, having a severe impact on Metro-North tracks,” Metro-North Railroad President and Long Island Rail Road interim President Catherine Rinaldi said in a statement Monday afternoon.

Train service on both the Hudson Line and the Upper Harlem Line was affected.

Bus service replaced some of those services as crews continued to “work around the clock” on cleanup, as the storm left behind high water, trees, boulders, and other debris on sections of the Metro-North track north of Croton-Harmon.

Amtrak service between Albany and New York City, which uses the Metro-North Hudson line, was also temporarily suspended “through at least Tuesday.”

By Tuesday evening, the Upper Harlem Line had resumed service. However, the MTA announced the Hudson Line would be running on a modified schedule through Wednesday, with five canceled trains. Updated schedules are available on the MTA website and the TrainTime app.

“This is not our first time dealing with a strong weather event. To be able to restore partial service so soon is a testament to the around-the-clock work undertaken by the Metro-North workforce,” Rinaldi said.

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