Vermont flash flooding strands residents, prompts rescues

By Liya Cui

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Heavy rain and severe flash floods have swept through parts of northeastern Vermont since Monday night, damaging buildings, washing out roads and prompting rescues, just weeks after the state endured dangerous flooding from Hurricane Beryl.

Flash flood warnings were in effect for parts of Caledonia and Essex counties until Tuesday evening, said the National Weather Service, which warned that the situation was life-threatening and residents should seek higher ground.

Between five to eight inches of rain have fallen in the area, according to the service.

Severe storms have become more commonplace for Vermonters in the past few years as extreme weather across the U.S. grows in frequency and intensity, a symptom of global, human-driven climate change, scientists say.

Much of the flooding was concentrated in Lyndonville and St. Johnsbury, near the state capital of Montpelier. Ten swift-water rescue teams conducted roughly two dozen rescues in the area last night, according to Vermont Emergency Management.

St. Johnsbury police issued a shelter in place order Tuesday morning for the town's 7,000 residents. Lyndonville's population is just over 1,000.

"It’s too early to determine the extent of damage, a lot of areas are still underwater," said Vermont Emergency Management spokesperson Mark Bosma on Tuesday.

Photos and videos on social media and local news channels showed flooded and partially collapsed roads, toppled trees and homes swept off their foundations.

The destruction follows intense flash flooding in Vermont caused by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl three weeks ago, resulting in the death of two people in the state.

The flooding on July 11 fell on the first anniversary of a catastrophic flood in Montpelier that shut down roadways and trapped the city's 8,000 residents in their homes.

(Reporting by Liya Cui, Editing by Nick Zieminski)