Vermont's Historic Flooding Revealed: Liberty 1 Exclusive

Catastrophic flash flooding and river flooding occurred across much of Vermont in early to mid-July 2023. Extensive flooding to communities, washouts of numerous roads and bridges, and even the occurrence of land and mudslides resulted in significant property losses (monetary values are still being tallied). The most widespread and significant flood damage occurred as a result of prolonged heavy rainfall during the tenth through the eleventh, July 2023 period , when rainfall amounts of 3 to 9 inches were observed across the state over 48 hours .The highest 48-hour rainfall total was 9.2 inches in Calais, Vermont and rainfall reports of 4 to 8 inches were commonplace along the spine of the Green Mountains and adjacent communities.
The 5.28" rainfall at the airport in Montpelier was the greatest calendar day rainfall at the site since records began in 1948, beating the previous record of 5.27" set with Tropical Storm Irene on 28 August 2011. July rainfall at Montpelier set an all-time monthly record of 12.06", beating the previous monthly record set in August 1989 (10.69").
Damage from the Great Vermont Flood of July 2023 rivaled - and in some areas exceeded - Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. Only the Great Flood of 3-4 November 1927, an event that preceded modern flood control in the state, exceeded the impact of the 2011 and 2023 events in the past century.
While two fatalities tragically occurred in connection with the flooding, the National Weather Service Burlington forecast office worked in partnership with state agencies in advance of the storm to raise awareness of its severity. Confidence in the weather and water forecasts allowed a State of Emergency Declaration by Vermont Governor Phil Scott on Sunday afternoon, 9 July 2023, for the "imminent likelihood of excessive rain" and associated threat to property and public safety. The State of Emergency declaration facilitated mobilization of Type 1 swift water teams and other resources from nearby states, and activation of the state Emergency Operating Plan to mitigate storm impacts to the maximum extent possible. These were crucial steps in the protection of life and property during the flood events that followed. By the pre-dawn morning hours on July 11th, nearly 100 State and U.S. Highways were closed . By July 14th, at least 212 urban and swift water rescues had been performed across Vermont.
Following flooding in the Killington area on Friday July 7th, new Flood Watches for flash flooding were issued across Vermont on Saturday, July 8th for the July 9-11 period by WFOs Albany and Burlington. In anticipation of potentially historic flooding, on Sunday morning, July 9th, forecasters on duty worked to coordinate a "HIGH-risk" WPC Day 2 Excessive Rainfall Outlook . This was the first HIGH-risk Day 2 Excessive Rainfall Outlook ever issued for the Burlington forecast area. Later that morning during a Vermont Emergency Management conference call, forecasters used the words "historic" and "catastrophic" to describe the flooding that was about to unfold, also stating that impacts would be the worst seen since Irene. The consistency in messaging across NWS operational units responsible for heavy rainfall and river forecasts added confidence and facilitated the lifesaving actions that followed in conjunction with federal, state, and local partners.vermont floodludlow vermont flooding todaymontpelier floodingmontpelier vermont flooding 2023ludlow vt flooding todayflooding vermont