Has anyone died in Vermont flooding?

At least two deaths have been reported in Vermont after heavy flooding from persistent torrential downpours Beryl dumped on the state as it moved through the United States. Severe flooding, caused by heavy rain from the last gasp of Tropical Rainstorm Beryl, left vehicles underwater in parts of Vermont on July 11.

What storm hit Vermont?

Last month, Hurricane Beryl landed in Texas and galloped across the country. As it faded, almost 2,000 miles from Houston, Beryl soaked Vermont with more than 6 inches of rain, creating deadly floods.

Where is the flooding in Vermont?

The most severe damage from Tuesday's floods was largely confined to small sections of remote towns including Lyndonville, East Burke and Morgan . But the scale of damage in those neighborhoods in many instances surpassed what these communities saw during the July floods of 2023 and 2024.

Which state is most flooded state?

1. Florida . Approximately 2.7 million people in Florida live in flood-prone areas. The state is highly susceptible to flooding due to its low elevation, extensive coastline, and frequent tropical storms and hurricanes.

What city has the highest flood risk?

All the cities, except Miami, are in Asian developing countries. The top 10 cities in terms of assets exposed are Miami, Guangdong, Greater New York, Kolkata, Shanghai, Mumbai, Tianjin, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Bangkok .

What is the flood capital of the United States?

Houston has a long history of extreme rainfall events, including many in recent years, likely making it America's flooding capital.

What part of the US is most affected by flooding?

An analysis of data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency showed that Texas annually sees the most losses due to flooding, with New Jersey and Louisiana ranking second and third, respectively . FEMA defines the expected annual loss as the average damage in dollars to buildings, population and agriculture.

Where is the flooded city?

You can reach the area by going through the section where the big crater in the middle of the City Ruins is located . There will be a large sewer pipe you can travel through that will take you directly to the place where the Flooded City is located.

What was the biggest flood in Vermont?

+ The Great Vermont Flood of 1927, November 3-4 . The flood of November 3-4, 1927, stands as the greatest natural disaster in Vermont history. Devastation occurred throughout the state, with 1,285 bridges lost as well as countless numbers of homes and buildings destroyed and hundreds of miles of roads and railroad tracks ...

How many deaths were caused by floods?

In 2022, there were a total of 91 fatalities reported due to flash floods and river floods in the United States, down from 146 fatalities in the previous year. Since 1995, the peak value was recorded in 2015, with a total of 176 lives lost due to floods.

How many people died in the 1964 flood?

The flood killed 19 people , heavily damaged or completely devastated at least 10 towns, destroyed all or portions of more than 20 major highway and county bridges, carried away millions of board feet of lumber and logs from mill sites, devastated thousands of acres of agricultural land, killed 4,000 head of livestock, ...

Police ID Peacham man believed to have died in flooding; rescues still underway (2024)

By WCAX News Team

Published: Jul. 11, 2024 at 5:42 AM EDT|Updated: Jul. 11, 2024 at 8:21 PM EDT

RICHMOND, Vt. (WCAX) - State officials said Thursday morning that at least one person is believed to have died due to the flooding and there were 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. Later Thursday afternoon, Vermont State Police released the name of that man. They say it was Dylan Kempton, 33, of Peacham.

Troopers say they found Kempton’s body while responding to a report of a vehicle in the South Peacham Brook at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. They found that driver was rescued unharmed by fire and rescue crews. But while they were at the scene, they noticed a UTV on its side in the water. Just before midnight, crews found Kempton dead a short distance downstream.

Investigators say Kempton was driving his UTV in Peachham when a culvert breached, sending water rushing over the road and sweeping away the UTV.

An autopsy will determine the cause and manner of death, but police say it does not appear suspicious.

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. “It’s not lost on me the irony of the flood falling on the one-year anniversary to the day when many towns were hit last year. I know that only adds to the emotion many are feeling this morning, even those who are not impacted that time around, but we’re ready. Our response and tools are only stronger as a result of last year and we will get through this,” Scott said.

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 two shelters are open. One at the Barre Auditorium and one at the St. Johnsbury School.

HELP

If you need help cleaning up, you can contact the Vermont Crisis Cleanup Line at 802-242-2054.

If you want to help with cleanup, you can volunteer. Click here to register to help.

You can also donate to flood recovery efforts. Call 888-653-7715 or email: donations@vermont.gov. Vermont Emergency Management says the best way to help is with cash donations to get aid to people and communities.

Smaller donations of food, clothing and household items are best handled at the local level. You can check with your local food shelves, community centers and charities.

For mental health support, call 988.

Click here for safety tips on returning home after flooding.

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, including tracks used by Amtrak’s Vermonter.

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.

Police ID Peacham man believed to have died in flooding; rescues still underway (1)

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.

Police ID Peacham man believed to have died in flooding; rescues still underway (2024)

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