Vermont man drowns at home as flooding claims first victim with more rain predicted – news
The towns of Londonderry and Weston remained largely inaccessible on Wednesday
Vermont authorities confirmed the first flood-related death following catastrophic rain on Wednesday.
Some 117 rescues were made in Vermont as the towns of Londonderry and Weston remained largely inaccessible. Officials were beginning to assess how many homes had been destroyed and what the financial cost would be from damaged roads, bridges and railways.
Vermont Emergency Management confirmed on Thursday that 63-year-old Stephen Davoll died as a result of a drowning incident in his home on Wednesday. It is the first death linked to the historic floodings in the state.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared the floodings a “1-in-1,000-year weather event” caused by the climate crisis, after a woman died in the Empire State when she was swept away while trying to escape her home with her dog.
Vermont Governor Phil Scott said at a news conference that thunderstorms were expected to move into parts of the state by Thursday night, which could cause more flash flooding.
“The period we are more concerned about is Sunday because that could be more widespread and heavier, but not nearly on the scale of what we saw earlier in the week,” National Weather Service meteorologist Seth Kutikoff also said.
How to help the victims
Catastrophic flooding has swamped Vermont’s state capital amid a race to rescue dozens of residents trapped by surging waters.
There are some verified GoFundMe accounts where you can donate to communities impacted by the flooding:
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New York’s Hudson Valley has been devastated by the flooding which has destroyed homes and major roadways, caused bridges to collapse, and damaged buildings at the historic West Point military academy.
One death has been reported in the state. Pamela Nugent, 43, died as she tried to escape her flooded home with her dog in the hamlet of Fort Montgomery, officials said.
“The toll this traumatic event has taken on her family, her fiance, and her friends is unimaginable. Pam was an extremely bright, smart, funny, kind and positive person with a generous heart who was ready to do anything she could for you,” her family wrote in the description of a GoFundMe page.
Dozens rescued in Vermont from destructive flooding as states facing multimillion-dollar clean-ups
Catastrophic flooding has swamped Vermont’s state capital amid a race to rescue dozens of residents trapped by surging waters.
Drone footage showed picturesque blocks of Montpelier under waist-high water on Tuesday after two months of rain fell in the space of 48 hours. Residents were seen canoeing along a road in front of the state capitol building, and negotiating streets on paddleboards.
The Wrightsville Dam, just north of Montpelier, was being closely watched after officials warned earlier on Tuesday that it was dangerously close to capacity and could breach, risking more flooding in the deluged town.
The Independent’s Louise Boyle reports:
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