Daylight drone video shows catastrophic flooding submerging downtown Montpelier, Vermont
More than 5.28 inches of record rain fell in Montpelier on Monday. Up to 9 inches has been reported in other parts of Vermont.
Drone video shows major flooding in Montpelier, Vermont
Montpelier, Vermont, issued an ominous warning early Tuesday morning alerting residents of a "potentially dangerous situation" as a local dam continues to fill closer to capacity, threatening to send large amounts of water into the downtown area of Vermont's capital city after catastrophic flooding on Monday.
MONTPELIER, Vt. – A painfully slow-moving storm is getting in its last licks after unleashing widespread, deadly floods from New York state to Vermont.
Even more rain looms on the horizon later this week, but the damage done now is catastrophic and heartbreaking.
Many areas of Vermont picked up more than a half-foot of rain on Monday, which is why there have been so many reports of flooding.
Vermont’s capital, Montpelier, was underwater Tuesday morning. Storm chaser Brandon Clement with Live Storms Media captured daylight video answering questions for anyone wondering the scale of the flooding in historic downtown. The area is closed until at least 3 p.m. EDT.
Vermont’s capital, Montpelier, was underwater Tuesday morning.
(Brandon Clement / LSM)
Montpelier City Manager William Fraser issued an ominous warning alerting residents of a "potentially dangerous situation" as a local dam continues to fill closer to capacity, threatening to send large amounts of water into the downtown area after catastrophic flooding on Monday.
The Wrightsville Dam had only 6 feet of storage capacity remaining as of early Monday morning, and Fraser warned that if the water does exceed capacity, the first spillway will release water into the North Branch River.
"This has never happened since the dam was built, so there is no precedent for potential damage," Fraser warned. "There would be a large amount of water coming into Montpelier which would drastically add to the existing flood damage."
Flood Warnings and Watches are still in effect Tuesday.
DRONE VIDEO SHOWS DISASTROUS FLOODING IN LUDLOW AFTER TORRENTIAL RAIN HITS VERMONT
Montpelier City Manager William Fraser issued an ominous warning alerting residents of a "potentially dangerous situation" as a local dam continues to fill closer to capacity.
(Brandon Clement / LSM)
More than 7 inches of record rain fell in Montpelier on Monday. Up to 9 inches has been reported in other parts of the state.
Top rain totals in Vermont over the past 24 hours.
(FOX Weather)
Vermont’s swift water rescue teams have performed more than 100 rescues throughout the state and are still very busy, Vermont Emergency Management said. Additional teams from Connecticut, Massachusetts and North Carolina are in state and assisting, and others are in route.
Vermont Governor Phil Scott said flooding in some parts of the state is worse than Tropical Storm Irene back in 2011.
The torrential rain began on Sunday in New York’s lower Hudson Valley, forcing the National Weather Service to issue a Flash Flood Emergency due to ongoing catastrophic flooding.
At least one person was killed, and numerous water rescues were conducted after rain caused the rivers and streams to overflow their banks, leading to roadways being washed away.
Officials warn dam could overflow into Montpelier, Vermont
FOX Weather meteorologist Ian Oliver was live in Montpelier, Vermont, where officials are warning that a local dam could overflow and send water rushing into the downtown area after catastrophic flooding on Monday.