Last year, Vermont suffered a catastrophic series of torrential rains that washed out major cities like Montpelier, the state's capital, and the nearby municipality of Barre. Many businesses took months to rebuild and many homeowners were left stranded. Some Vermonters said it was the worst natural disaster to hit the state since a 1927 flood killed dozens of people.
Now, Vermont has become the first state to require oil companies to compensate the public for damages caused by climate change. On Thursday, the Vermont legislature passed a law requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a share of damages caused by climate change.
