CAMBRIDGE, Vt. (WCAX) – The power of the Lamoille River was on display again overnight as it inundated communities and damaged roads and bridges in its path.
The Lamoille River overflowed onto Route 15 in Morrisville around 4:30 a.m. Thursday, eventually forcing traffic to turn around.
On backroads, road crews worked to address numerous washouts and clear culverts. In Hardwick, the Route 14 bridge that was destroyed last year, remained intact but was damaged from rushing water from the dam, debris bending the guardrail, and water surrounding it.
The American Legion Post #7 on North Main Street was among the buildings inundated by rising waters. “We got flooded last night. Not as bad as last year. There’s some damage inside but we think we will be able to fix that,” said the post’s Ed Slayton. He says they had inches of water on the first floor after water spilled into the parking lot. “We just buckle down and get through it. We’re all veterans, we all know we’ve been through a lot worse, so we’ll get through it..”
By early afternoon, the water was beginning to recede. But like last year, the force of the water carrying debris — including refrigerators — made Route 15 in Johnson impassable.
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“Three out of our top five flooding events happened within the last year,” said Johnson Selectman Mark Woodward. But he says it’s not nearly as bad as last year, with the Lamoille not rising as high and the town more flood-ready. “I think that last year’s flood helped us immensely be prepared for this year’s flood… I think this is the new normal, but I will caveat that was saying each flood is unique.”