Current:Home > ContactFlood damage outpaces some repairs in hard-hit Vermont town -MoneyStream
Flood damage outpaces some repairs in hard-hit Vermont town
View
Date:2025-04-18 04:16:26
LYNDON, Vt. (AP) — The Vermont town of Lyndon was hit by severe flash floods twice last month. As residents brace for the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby to arrive Friday, some worry that the pace of small-town recovery can’t keep up with the increasingly severe weather fueled by climate change.
“I need a three-week drought,” Municipal Administrator Justin Smith said on Wednesday. And even that wouldn’t be enough.
“We need the water to shut off so we’re not losing ground on things that we’ve already worked on, and we’re not having to leave what we’re working on to prep something for the next rain event,” he said.
The flooding that hit the northeastern part of the state on July 30 knocked out five bridges, destroyed five homes, damaged 20 to 30 more and caved in and washed away roads in Lyndon, a rural town of about 5,600 people. It came three weeks after after flooding in the north and center of the state from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl. That storm killed two people, including a driver in the village who was swept away by floodwaters.
A flood watch has been issued for the area from Friday afternoon through Saturday morning.
“We’re very concerned about what this water might bring, as far as more home loss,” Smith said.
The town is preparing by removing as much debris as possible on the most heavily damaged roads, emptying out culverts, and armoring the areas in the brook and its new path by placing large rocks where the water is likely to have the most force, he said.
A number of roads are still closed while the work progresses. A temporary bridge was installed Tuesday, opening up access for about 30 people, including a farmer who couldn’t get a truck in to pick up milk, Smith said. Most people now have some access in or out, he said.
Jaqi Kincaid lives on the road with her husband and elderly mother. The brook below turned into a torrent during last week’s flooding and took out part of their back yard, including the well, and heavily damaged the garage leaving it hanging off a cliff. People have been incredibly helpful including giving them water because they don’t have any, she said. The power is back on.
“Our fear is if Debby comes through with all that rain we’re going to lose the house, too,” she said. “Our fear is just losing everything like some other friends have down the road.”
Nearby, an elderly woman told the fire chief Wednesday that she was concerned about still not having phone or internet service.
The temporary bridge allowed a truck to get up to Speedwell Farms to pick up milk this week. The dairy farm, which milks about 97 cows, had to dump milk for nearly a week, at a loss of about $1,500 a day. On Wednesday, the farm — which had been nearly out of grain — received a truck delivery, Nichols said.
Each new storm causes more stress, said Smith, the town’s municipal administrator. Will it be a sprinkle or prolonged downpour, how much rain will come and when will it end? The reaction is more significant considering the state the town is in, he said.
“It’s one thing when you have all your structures and all your culverts and your drainage systems operational, and it’s another when you know that you don’t because they’re either destroyed or they’re plugged and there’s only so much you can get to all at once, and you’re wondering what those affects are going to be,” he said. “So it’s obviously something that we spend a lot of time worrying about.”
veryGood! (8971)
Related
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- Blinken sees a path to Gaza peace, reconstruction and regional security after his Mideast tour
- Chris Christie ends 2024 presidential bid that was based on stopping Donald Trump
- Wisconsin sexual abuse case against defrocked Cardinal McCarrick suspended
- 'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
- 1000-Lb Sisters' Tammy Slaton Becomes Concerned About Husband Caleb Willingham After Date Night
- Emmys will have reunions, recreations of shows like ‘Lucy,’ ‘Martin,’ ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Thrones’
- Who could replace Pete Carroll? Dan Quinn among six top options for next Seahawks coach
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- Get Up to 70% off at Michael Kors, Including This $398 Bag for Just $63
Ranking
- South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
- Who will replace Nick Saban? Five candidates Alabama should consider
- President Joe Biden’s record age, 81, is an ‘asset,’ first lady Jill Biden says
- Ohio House overrides governor Mike DeWine's veto of gender-affirming care ban
- New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
- As car insurance continues to rise, U.S. inflation ticks up in December
- Blinken sees a path to Gaza peace, reconstruction and regional security after his Mideast tour
- Health advocates criticize New Mexico governor for increasing juvenile detention
Recommendation
US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
Germany’s Scholz condemns alleged plot by far-right groups to deport millions if they take power
Prisoners’ bodies returned to families without heart, other organs, lawsuit alleges
15 million acres and counting: These tycoons, families are the largest landowners in the US
New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
Hundreds gather in Ukraine’s capital to honor renowned poet who was also a soldier killed in action
Tired of waiting for the delayed Emmys? Our TV critic presents The Deggy Awards
Ranking NFL playoff teams by viability: Who's best positioned to reach Super Bowl 58?