Updated at 10:58 p.m.
Vermont could face catastrophic, life-threatening flooding as a deluge of rain meets saturated soils and swelling waterways, officials warned Sunday. The forecast prompted Gov. Phil Scott to declare a state of emergency that afternoon.
“It’s flooding that we haven’t seen in over a decade,” said Matthew Clay, a Burlington-based meteorologist for the National Weather Service. “This could be similar to the flooding that we saw with (Tropical Storm) Irene in some places.”
The weather service issued a statewide flood watch from Sunday afternoon through Monday evening. Forecasters said to expect two to five inches of rain throughout much of Vermont by Tuesday morning — and more than seven inches in some areas. Southern Vermont and the spine of the Green Mountains are expected to be hit hardest, according to Clay.
Flash floods are likely overnight, Clay said, particularly in low-lying areas and those near streams and rivers. Larger rivers could continue to rise through Tuesday morning.
In an executive order declaring the state of emergency, the governor wrote that the rainfall was likely to cause “widespread damage” and pose “a threat to property and public safety in Vermont.” Scott called for the activation of the State Emergency Operations Center and authorized the Vermont National Guard to respond to emergencies.
The Department of Public Safety, the Agency of Transportation and other state agencies were preparing to work overnight Sunday to assist municipalities with their response, according to Vermont Emergency Management. Swiftwater rescue teams were staged throughout the state to help with potential evacuations, VEM said, and other crews from outside Vermont may join the effort in the coming days.
Most of Vermont has seen two to eight inches of rain over the past week, according to Clay, exacerbating the risks of the coming storm. On Friday, flash flooding and a mudslide closed roads in Killington and briefly stranded people, VTDigger reported.
“It’s just kind of the worst-case scenario after getting all this rainfall,” Clay said.
Vermont Emergency Management called on those in the state Sunday to prepare for flooding and monitor weather reports closely.
Officials recommended that those in flood-prone areas make a plan to evacuate if necessary and heed warnings as they are issued. They reminded Vermonters to avoid driving through floodwaters, turn off circuit breakers before evacuating and move valuables from basements.
Clay encouraged Vermonters to cancel outdoor activities Sunday night and avoid campgrounds, if possible. “Being proactive is the best course of action with this flooding,” he said.
Weather service maps showed that Bennington, Rutland, Addison and Windsor counties should expect more than four inches of rain, along with portions of nearly every other county in the state.
Vermont Emergency Management recommended signing up for weather warnings through the Vermont Alert system and monitoring its social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter. The National Weather Service’s latest forecasts for Bennington and Windham counties are available at its Albany site and for the rest of Vermont at its Burlington site.
