Parts of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom hit by flash flooding again

Heavy rainfall caused serious flash flooding in the early morning hours in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, washing out roads and requiring swift water rescues.

Officials are urging residents to be extremely cautious.

"As long as your house isn't in danger, please stay there," said Vermont Emergency Management Director Eric Forand. "If you do have to go out, please do not drive in any standing water — you don't know what will be underneath the surface. And if you do need any help, please call 911 to get that assistance to you as quickly as possible."

Flood warnings remain in effect until 12:45 p.m. for parts of Caledonia and Essex counties.

“The flash flooding overnight was a little more localized than we saw two or three weeks ago — however, it was locally just as severe,” said John Goff, a hydrologist at the National Weather Service in Burlington.

“Reliable rainfall reports of 7 to 8 inches of rain have fallen in downtown St. Johnsbury, also in Morgan, Vermont — that was another hard-hit area," Goff said.

The Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium in St. Johnsbury recorded 7.96 inches of rainfall, the highest single-day total in their 130 years of recorded weather.

In East Burke, some people woke up to several inches of water in their yards. And several homes were cut off from the road after driveways and roads washed out.

Town officials including Jim Sullivan, the town administrator, have been out since 5 a.m. assessing damage. By mid-morning, Sullivan was parked next to Mountain Road, watching the floodwaters from Dish Mill Brook.

“We're just going to work our butts off,” he said. “It's what we do. It seems like we do it a lot more often now. But yeah, I'm only laughing because otherwise I'd be crying.”

The storm that hit Burke early this morning was a repeat of flooding earlier this month, when roads were damaged on the west side of town.

“Today this one hit our whole east side,” Sullivan said. “It was just the pummeling — the pummeling that the bridge abutments are taking right now. That's what's causing the damage.”

Vermont Emergency Management sent swift water rescue teams to the area overnight and conducted approximately two dozen rescues, according to spokesman Mark Bosma.

As of 8:45 a.m., Vermont Emergency Management's Forand told Vermont Public that swift water rescues were beginning to wind down, but the teams were on standby as the Passumpsic River continued to rise. The river is expected to crest later this afternoon just under 17 feet, which is moderate flood stage.

Several road closures are being reported across the Kingdom, including U.S. 2 and multiple spots of U.S. 5 in St. Johnsbury, parts of State Route 111 in Morgan and Route 114 in East Burke. Find up-to-date road info at New England 511. The flooding is active and more closures are expected.

Flooding has been concentrated over Caledonia and Essex counties in Vermont and northern Grafton County in New Hampshire. The Passumpsic River between St. Johnsbury and Barnet reached moderate flood stage early Tuesday morning and significant flood damage has been reported in East Burke and Lyndonville, according to the National Weather Service.

Warm air, which holds more moisture, is still in place over Vermont. Today, the National Weather Service says additional isolated storms and downpours could result in more flooding and strong winds this afternoon into evening in portions of Caledonia County and the Northeast Kingdom.

On Wednesday, a storm currently over the Great Lakes could bring more heavy downpours and flash flooding to the region.

This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative. It was originally published by Vermont Public.