Heavy rainfall creates flooding problems

Following an unusual February rainstorm which caused evacuations in several Vermont communities, flood warnings issued Thursday are expected to extend into today.

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Anthony Edwards / Staff Photo Hard rainfall flooded the fields along Alfrecha Road in Clarendon on Thursday. Published February 26, 2016 in the Rutland Herald Heavy rainfall creates flooding problems By Dan Colton STAFF WRITER Following an unusual February rainstorm which caused evacuations in several Vermont communities, flood warnings issued Thursday are expected to extend into today. On Thursday, the National Weather Service issued river flood warnings for the Winooski River at Essex Junction, Passumpsic River at Passumpsic, and Otter Creek in Center Rutland. Officials blamed heavy rainfall, frozen ground and floating ice jams. Around 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Rutland Town Highway Commissioner Byron Hathaway said the Otter Creek flooding would likely become worse today. “I think if we’re going to see any problems with the creek, it will be around morning time,” he said Thursday evening. “There’s usually a 12- to 18-hour delay for the water to come down off the hill.” In Rutland City, storm water pumps were working at capacity as floods hit localized areas. Jim Rotondo, Rutland city engineer, said Stratton Road near Piedmont Pond, North Street at Crescent Street, Lincoln Street at Burnham Avenue and Harrington Avenue were hit by rising waters. The Department of Public Service dispatched 12 workers to clear drainpipes to ease flood levels, he said. “The water depths on the streets ranged anywhere from four inches to a foot-and-a-half,” Rotondo said. “The worst location was North Main (Street) at Crescent (Street).” Wastewater pumps around the city average an output of 3 million to 4 million gallons a day, Rotondo said. But starting Thursday, he said they were running at capacity, with 22.5 million gallons a day. The unseasonably warm temperatures and rain are expected to become colder today. “It’s a little unusual to get this amount of heavy rain in Februrary,” said Brooke Taber, National Weather Service meteorologist in Burlington. “We’re looking at (rain) showers changing to snow showers (Thursday) evening and ending by midnight or sometime after midnight.” He forecast today’s weather to be drier and freezing, causing potentially slick roads, Taber said. And because the rainstorm hit during the end of winter, Taber said rainfall isn’t the only culprit behind the flooding. “Combined with the breaking up of ice and creating ice jams is what caused the flooding,” he said. Lyndonville and Hardwick were two of the hardest-hit areas as the Passumpsic River flooded Route 5 and at the Center Street Bridge in Lyndonville, where businesses and homes were affected. Officials said residents at a Lyndonville mobile-home park were evacuated and displaced by the cold floodwaters. “We dispatched urban search and rescue to Lyndonville,” said Mark Bosma, spokesman for the Vermont Division of Emergency Management & Homeland Security. “We got 25 residents out of there, and the Red Cross is putting displaced residents who need it up in hotels.” He said about six of the displaced Lyndonville residents sought shelter at a hotel, and his agency had not received reports of any flood-related injuries. Bosma said it was too soon to estimate monetary damages. Amanda Atwood, Hardwick account administrator, said the floodwaters moved down Wolcott Street as ice jams in the river broke apart and reformed downstream. Four homes were evacuated during the morning hours, and by afternoon the floodwaters reached businesses. “There is still flooding near Lamoille Valley Ford,” Atwood said. “Tops and Rite Aid are closed.” Multiple people were evacuated in Springfield Thursday morning when floating debris caused Mineral Street and Grove Street to overflow. Seven people were evacuated from the Springfield Housing Authority on Mineral Street. “There was a culvert that overflowed coming over Grove Street,” said Bill Morlock, Springfield Housing Authority director. “Pieces of wood were stuck, overflowed, and entered a building on Mineral Street,” where the first floor flooded. The seven attendants, Morlock said, would be rehoused elsewhere for about two weeks. Mike Hines, highway superintendent for Rockingham and Bellows Falls, said some homes in the Laurel Avenue and High Street area were hit by water, but said things could have been worse. The main concern, he said, was roads being undercut and flooded by the water. “We got close to three inches of rain in a two-hour period (between midnight and 2 a.m.),” he said. “The damage could have been much worse. We’ve got the graders moving up the gravel road and we’ve got to flush some culverts and storm drains, but we’re not in real bad shape.” The flood warning for the Passumpsic River ends at 12:30 p.m., and extends until 3 p.m. for the Otter Creek in Center Rutland. “The rivers will probably recede faster than that as the rain stops,” said Taber. “Definitely expecting flooding to continue overnight and improve on Friday.” dan.colton