Devastating floods batter Vermont as water levels continue to rise
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.
