Vermont floodwaters ‘continue to rise’; Devastation is ‘historic and catastrophic’: governor

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

Destructive floods hit parts of eastern New York and Pennsylvania especially hard, though the most widespread damage flooding was seen in Vermont, where floodwaters continue to rise in parts of the state as of late Tuesday morning, Gov. Phil Scott said in 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. Biden is in Vilnius, Lithuania, attending the annual NATO summit.

As rivers continue to create “severe flooding issues” across the state, 13 swift-water rescue teams have performed over 100 rescues, and they “remain extremely busy,” said Jennifer Morrison, commissioner of the Department of Public Safety.

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

Since flooding hit the state on Sunday, the teams have evacuated 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,” Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said on social media Tuesday morning.

Early on Tuesday, officials in the state capital, Montpellier, issued an emergency health order closing parts of the city until at least noon on Tuesday. Around 10 a.m., that order was extended until 3 p.m.

Even though the downtown area started to see a “slight reduction in water levels,” the “level reduction is slower than what was initially projected,” the Montpellier Police Department 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 in 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 LIRR Interim President Catherine Rinaldi said in a statement Monday afternoon.

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

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

Later on Monday, MTA officials announced “partial restoration of train service on the Hudson Line.” Early on Tuesday, trains began operating between Grand Central Terminal and Peekskill at least once per hour.

Limited bus services between Croton-Harmon and Poughkeepsie are still being offered for “essential travelers,” with buses departing Croton-Harmon on a “load-and-go basis.”

Upper Harlem Line service remained suspended as of Tuesday morning, with bus service continuing at least through mid-day.

Amtrak service between Albany and New York City, which uses the Metro-North Hudson line, has also been temporarily suspended “through at least Tuesday,” according to a Monday evening update.

“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.