BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Now-tropical depression Debby is moving north, threatening to bring heavy rain with it. The worst of the storm is now forecasted to go to the west of our region but with a flood watch in effect in New York’s North Country, and flood warnings in effect for central and northeastern Vermont, residents in our region aren’t out of the woods yet. The uncertainty about the storm’s impact can make it tricky to plan for potential flooding.
Vermont Emergency Management says they’re preparing for whatever comes our way and they have a few tips for residents to prepare too. Emergency Management is bringing in several swift-water rescue crews from out of state, staging at Knapp State Airport in Berlin.
With a constant eye on the forecast, they say the stacked rescue teams will be ready for the worst while hoping for the best.
“We’re continuously scaling up and down, both in our emergency service response but also our shelter response, our emergency operations center personnel, all scalable according to what’s happening,” said Eric Forand with Vermont Emergency Management.
For Vermonters in low-lying areas or near rivers, Forand recommends making an evacuation plan just in case. That means a planned route to higher ground and knowing how to turn off the electricity in the event of an evacuation.
Forand says people should also pack a to-go bag with everything they’d need in a day like a change of clothes, medication, cell phone, and charger.
They also recommend having extra food, medications, water, flashlights, and batteries in the house in case people become housebound.
And while we wait for the storm to hit, he recommends people have VT-alert for updates on evacuations, weather patterns, and more.
Friday morning Governor Phil Scott will hold a press conference about the state’s flood response. You can watch that on WCAX at 11 a.m.