Updated at 7:17 p.m.
A slow-moving thunderstorm late Monday and early Tuesday dropped more than eight inches of rain on St. Johnsbury over just six hours, a record soaking that led to yet another round of flooding in Vermont.
The previous record for a single day of rainfall in St. Johnsbury was set in 1913, at 4.99 inches. On Tuesday, 7.89 inches fell there, according to the National Weather Service; combined with Monday’s precipitation, it was more than eight inches.
Pete Banacos, science and operations officer at its Burlington office, said the storm remained nearly stationary for hours above the Northeast Kingdom town.
“It is highly unusual to see these kinds of rainfall amounts in Vermont,” Banacos said.
A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration graphic says that a rain event such as this could be expected in St. Johnsbury only once every 1,000 years.
St. Johnsbury fire chief Bradley Reed told Seven Days that he had never witnessed a rainstorm such as this one during his career. Flash flooding struck, a bridge failed at Farmer Drive, and the fire department had to rescue people stuck in a car.
Authorities were still assessing damage and were setting up a shelter at 51 Depot Square. Rainwater damaged seven of the 11 units in a Main Street apartment building. Residents said they had to evacuate in the middle of the night when water cascaded down. Ceilings collapsed, and residents worried whether insurance would cover the damages.
Damaged roads in the region were closed. Lyndonville, Barnet and Norton were among hard-hit communities.
In St. J, Concord Avenue sustained the most damage, Reed said. Part of the road remained closed on Tuesday, with debris and silt covering swaths of it.
Bill Thurston, who lives on Concord Avenue, said flooding last year and earlier this month had a minimal effect on his property. But the overnight storm created small craters in his driveway and flooded his basement.
Authorities closed Red Village Road in Lyndonville, portions of which were covered with mud and water. A white SUV sat in the nearby Passumpsic River.
Ten swift-water rescue teams were dispatched to the region and rescued around 24 people. The teams were still prepared to respond to additional calls for assistance on Tuesday afternoon. No injuries or fatalities had been reported.
According to Mark Bosma, public information officer for the state’s Emergency Management Department, the damage to St. Johnsbury is significant and may be even more extensive than from the July 10 flooding. Bosma encouraged those affected to call 211 to report any damage and said residents should stay off closed roads and avoid driving through standing water.
Vermont’s flood-weariness was showing.
“Well this is getting old real fast for our region,” read a post on the Facebook page of Morrison’s Feed Bag, a St. Johnsbury feed store. “Our warehouse is completely destroyed at the moment and full of 6” of mud.”
An accompanying video showed people removing merchandise from a muddy structure. The business also assured customers that a “wonderful team of family, employees and friends” had gathered to dig out. It said, “WE ARE OPEN!!!!!! PLEASE COME IN!”
Maria Vance, owner of Cheap Totes, an online business based in St. Johnsbury, was still recovering from July 10 flood damage when the latest flood struck. Overnight, floodwaters carried two shipping containers containing most of her inventory down the road and into a sinkhole.
“I never would’ve imagined that this much water could come from rain alone,” Vance said.
Rep. Scott Campbell (D-St. Johnsbury) spent the morning biking around his neighborhood, surveying the damage. One spot on Farmer Drive was hard hit.
“There’s probably a 30-foot canyon there now,” Campbell said. “It’s shocking.”
Campbell said neighbors are already organizing a “basement mucking party” Wednesday for low-lying households affected by the flooding.
Bosma summed up what many were feeling.
“I’ve been around for a while, and I don’t ever remember a storm stopping and dropping this much rain in one area,” Bosma said. “But nothing really surprises me anymore after the last few years.”
Storms were again headed into Vermont on Tuesday afternoon, and still more were forecast for Wednesday. Additional flash flooding could be in store then if another weather system arrives with the potential for torrential downpours.
“The bottom line is we need to stay on our toes and be very watchful of this system,” Banacos said.
This article appears in Jul 24-30, 2024.
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