BERLIN, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermonters are beginning to pick up the pieces from yet another round of flooding that caused widespread damage.
At a news briefing Friday morning, Gov. Phil Scott said that while assessing the damage around the state, he was reminded of how resilient Vermonters are and how they help their neighbors.
The remnants of Hurricane Beryl swept into our region Wednesday and Thursday, prompting evacuations, knocking out roads and bridges, and leading to the deaths of two men: Dylan Kempton, 33, of Peacham; and John Rice, 73, of Concord, Vermont.
The governor said the state is continuing with its damage response and will provide assistance when necessary, coordinating with local officials. Scott said it will take a few more days to assess all the damage done and to find out what the state can expect for federal support.
“We can all use what we learned last year to act quickly and strengthen our response, and that starts with getting homes, businesses and communities clean and dry as quickly as possible,” said Scott, R-Vermont.
Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison said Friday that most rescue operations have now wrapped up, saying the state’s swiftwater teams rescued 120 people and 15 animals, and assisted with dozens of evacuations. She noted that is in addition to the many rescues that were carried out by local first responders.
Morrison implored people to respect all signs and detours. She said don’t put yourself in a position that requires you to be rescued.
Morrison said most rivers are now receding but some flooding continued Friday morning. Rivers in flood stage include the Passumpsic, the Winooski in Essex Junction and the Lamoille.
Officials said as of Friday morning, there were still 150 known power outages. Morrison warned that some of those restorations will take longer than usual because of the damage crews will have to negotiate to reach the locations.
Morrison urged flooding victims to document their damage, keep receipts for money spent on repairs and to report all flood damage to 211. Officials say reporting the damage helps them get an accurate tally of monetary damage in the state that could trigger federal assistance, which will help everyone. Morrison said as of Friday morning, there had been 250 reports of damage to 211.
She encouraged local emergency operations to reach out to the state emergency operations center if work expands beyond their capacity.
If you need help cleaning up, assistance is available. Contact the crisis cleanup line 802-242-2054 or crisiscleanup.org. And if you want to volunteer to help your neighbors clean up, register at www.vermont.gov/volunteer. You can also check with your town to see if they have a coordinated effort. If you want to donate, cash donations are most helpful. You can donate at vermontfloodresponse.org. Officials say other kinds of donations best handled at the local level.
Vt. Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn reported that 18 state roads remained closed on Friday. You can find the latest closures at https://newengland511.org/. He said damage to railroad tracks has Amtrak temporarily stopping in Burlington and busing to Middlebury.
Flynn said nearly $30 million from the VTrans budget, already earmarked for municipalities, will be dispersed by early August. About half of it will go out next week.
State officials say there have been four reports of landslides, and the state will conduct field reports as needed.
State officials say now is the time to get wet items out of your house and move all flood-related debris to the right of way. And they advised people to stay out of the floodwaters.
Vt. Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine said when cleaning homes, the assumption should be that your home has mold. And with that, he advises that children with weakened immune systems should not help with flood cleanup.
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FLOODING RESOURCES:
ROAD CLOSURES
For the latest state road closures, visit New England 511. *Note: Local road closures are not reported to 511.
Officials also reported rail damage in some areas, including tracks used by Amtrak’s Vermonter.
SHELTERS
Vermont Emergency Management says as of Friday morning, two shelters are currently open:
- Barre Auditorium, 16 Auditorium Hill, Barre
- St. Johnsbury School, 257 Western Avenue, St. Johnsbury
Click here for the latest shelter information. Emergency management says not all shelters are listed here, only those reported to VEM. You can call your town to ask about local shelters or call 211 to find a facility.
SAFETY TIPS
Click here for safety tips on returning home after flooding.
CLEANUP HELP
If you need help cleaning up, you can contact the Vermont Crisis Cleanup Line at 802-242-2054.
If you want to help with cleanup, you can volunteer. Click here to register to help.
You can also donate to flood recovery efforts. Call 888-653-7715 or email: donations@vermont.gov. Vermont Emergency Management says the best way to help is with cash donations to get aid to people and communities.
Smaller donations of food, clothing and household items are best handled at the local level. You can check with your local food shelves, community centers and charities.
MENTAL HEALTH
- Starting Over Strong Vermont helps individuals and communities recover from disasters through community outreach and access to mental health services. Call Vermont 211 to be connected to outreach workers and resources in your area.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 for immediate support from trained crisis counselors who can offer emotional support and connect you with local resources.
- The Vermont Language Justice Project (VLJP) has compiled a “Coping with Stress After a Disaster” playlist, offering videos in 19 languages discussing common emotional responses and strategies for navigating mental health challenges post-disaster.
- Mobile Crisis Services: Vermont mobile crisis teams are available to provide in-person support and crisis intervention. They can be reached through your local community mental health centers or by dialing 988.
- The SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH): Call or text 1–800–985–5990 for free, confidential crisis counseling available 24/7, on all days of the year.