Dangerous “catastrophic” flooding across the Northeast has killed at least one woman who was swept away in the raging waters, as roads were washed out in Vermont and residents were rescued across the region from a “1,000-year event.”
Torrential, life-threatening rain pounded New York, Vermont and parts of western Massachusetts — leading to flooded roads and homes. Several inches of heavy rain were measured.
In New York, a 35-year-old woman who came outside when she saw her home was taking on too much water was swept away and died, officials said.
“We are in the midst of an extraordinary, extraordinary weather event that has just devastated communities throughout the Hudson Valley,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said during a press conference.
“The skies opened up and brought so much rain, 9 inches of rain in this community, that they’re calling this a 1,000-year event,” she later added.
In Vermont, the governor declared a state of emergency and called up the National Guard in response to the historic rainfall as roads turned into rivers.
The National Weather Service out of Burlington, Vt. was reporting “widespread significant to potentially catastrophic flash flooding.”
The Green Mountain State has not seen rainfall like this since the devastating Hurricane Irene, and in some places, it will surpass even that.
“Almost three dozen state roads are closed due to high water, and additional closures are possible as rivers and streams continue to rise. This figure does not include town roads,” Vermont State Police tweeted.
“Waterways have not yet crested,” State Police added. “Be ready to evacuate if floodwater approaches. Keep monitoring local news media, @NWS, @vemvt, and the free VT ALERT service for up-to-the-minute information about closures, shelters, and life-safety measures.”
In western Massachusetts, there were several reports of roads closing due to significant flooding. In Williamsburg, there was a report of flooding up to the windows of homes, leading to resident rescues. A beaver dam also broke, causing four homes to be flooded.
“MEMA has been made aware of five towns that have declared a local state of emergency (Williamsburg, Clarksburg, Deerfield, Becket and North Adams),” said a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. “MEMA facilitated a request from Williamsburg to dispatch the Department of Fire Services’ Incident Support Unit (command post) to respond to the town.
“MEMA reminds residents to avoid flooded areas and never attempt to drive through flooded roadways,” the spokesperson added. “Residents should monitor conditions closely and continue to check the media for emergency information, as rivers, creeks, and streams will continue to gradually rise through tomorrow.”
Flooding is still expected to continue to be a threat in western Massachusetts after this recent deluge of rain.
“You’ll want to avoid walking around river banks,” said Bill Leatham of the National Weather Service. “The waters will be moving at a pretty good clip.
“You don’t want to drive through a flooded roadway. Turn around, don’t drown,” he added. “And if there are road closures, make sure you heed those closures that local officials are putting out.”
AccuWeather has already estimated that the flooding across the Northeast has led to $3 billion to $5 billion in total damages and economic loss.
Roads and bridges were washed away, and some will take weeks or months to repair, impacting tourism in those areas over the busy summer months, according to AccuWeather. The flooding and thunderstorms also brought down trees and power lines, leaving tens of thousands without power.
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