Governor Peter Shumlin has declared a State of Emergency for the state of Vermont. This declaration allows the state to utilize assets from the Vermont National Guard in responding to the flood. The governor said some 500 homes have been severely damaged or destroyed. Lake Champlain is expected to crest at 103.2 feet above sea level Friday, or more than a foot above the previous record high.
Agency of Transportation Road Update ‘ 5/6/11 Noon
VTrans’ crews continue to take action to keep the travelling public safe. Through tactical deployment of jersey barriers and fill, as well as large rock, VTrans has been able to open up some roads, and keep others from being closed. The most active area of work is along Route 2 in the Islands, where the water continues to be over the road in the Sandbar area and along the Causeway. Motorists are advised to proceed with extreme caution, and avoid the area if possible. Traffic may be reduced to one lane in order to accommodate truck movements to continue to protect the road. Travel may be slow.
Updates of today:
Route 129 in Alburgh remains open, though water is high in some locations, and debris is being removed.
The Maidstone State Highway (previously closed) remains open.
Route 73 (previously closed) between Route 7 and 30 remains open.
Route 17 in Chimney Point (previously closed) remains open.
Route 2 mudslide in East Montpelier has been addressed and the road is open.
Route 7 in Highgate Springs, just south of the Canadian border had water and debris on it this morning. The debris has been cleared, but there is still water over the roadway in some areas.
Ongoing Areas of Concern:
Route 78 between Swanton and Alburgh is open, but travelers should proceed with extreme caution. VTrans crews have installed delineators (reflectors) where there are no guardrails, and are adding fill to protect the travelled way. Water is not yet in the travelled way, but is close. New England Central RR is working to armor its rail bed which is protecting the road. VTrans will continue to monitor this situation carefully.
The Route 2 Causeway remains open. VTrans is continuing to armor both sides of the causeway with rock. The south side is complete, work on the north side will continue until dark. VTrans is now working to add barriers to the route. There is water over the road, and travelers must proceed with caution. Travel may be restricted to one lane to accommodate construction vehicles for the road improvements.
Route 2 (East of Sandbar) is open to traffic, but there is significant water over the road. VTrans is placing jersey barriers and gravel to shore up this road. Travel is slow and may be down to one late to accommodate construction vehicles.
Route 2 in Alburgh, between Routes 78 and 129 at Wagner Point. Some water in the road but both lanes are open. Motorists are advised to reduce speed and exercise caution.
I-89 Southbound in Milton will be reduced to one-lane traffic due to instability of the right lane.
Route 118 between Montgomery and Belvidere. There are multiple locations (on 118) that are reduced to one-lane traffic. These are extended events that will last until further notice.
Route 122 in Lyndon, between the Interstate and Wheelock Road. One-lane traffic due to slope failure. This will be an extended event that will last until further notice.
Route 114 between Canaan and Island Pond, through Norton. Motorists will experience several single-lane areas due to multiple slope failures.
Continued State Road Closures:
Route 36 in St. Albans, between Georgia Shore Road and McQuam Road is closed due to flooding. Motorists are advised to avoid this section of roadway.
Route 125 near Chimney Point is closed approximately 13 miles west of Middlebury. Route 17 remains open following VTrans’ action to add fill to flooded areas.
Smugglers Notch, Jeffersonville to Stowe, remains closed, weather pending.
Note that the Chimney Point and Grand Isle ferries are still running on schedule.
The slow moving nature of the lake flooding has allowed communities to evacuate residents before waters threaten their safety, but the length of this disaster has made this step necessary.
‘Conditions have worsened to the point where the state needs equipment and personnel from the Guard,’ Gov. Shumlin said. ‘Roads that have been under water for days are less stable and more hazardous; we can no longer depend on trucks and other local and state equipment to get to isolated residents. The Guard has high water vehicles and helicopters that can be used to evacuate residents in a medical emergency.’
The Governor also noted that local responders and officials have been on the job for several days and extra manpower will be welcome.
‘We have dedicated state and local responders, road crews, and officials who have been working with homeowners to sandbag properties and keep roads passable. The Guard can provide personnel to help with these tasks,’ the Governor said.
Vermont Emergency Management, Buildings and General Services, and the Vermont Agency of Transportation have distributed tens of thousands of sandbags to local communities and more are available. Individuals in need should contact their city or town and that municipality can arrange to provide them.
The State also submitted a formal request for Preliminary Damage Assessment teams this week. Those teams will be in the field Tuesday morning to verify damage to public infrastructure that would allow the state to ask for a Federal Disaster Declaration. The State and several counties have reached monetary thresholds that would qualify for a disaster. A disaster declaration would allow cities and towns to receive federal reimbursement for 75 percent of flood response and recovery costs.
Assistance for individual property owners may be more difficult to come by. There are grant and loan programs from the federal government that may be available to those who have lost personal property in floods. Vermont Emergency Management and Vermont Agency of Human Services officials are currently working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to find any assistance that may be available.
‘The number one priority right now is the continued safety of Vermonters, but we have begun the process of finding financial resources for homeowners,’ the Governor said. ‘This is a major disaster to anyone who has lost property and we will make every possible effort to find those people help.’
Private homeowners should keep close records of cleanup costs and physical losses; and take photos of their property to help account for damage. This information can be passed along to your city or town for dissemination to the state.
Photos from Governor Shumlin’s aerial flood survey Thursday. Joining him on the flight were Major General Michael Dubie and Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs Alexandra MacLean, who took the photos.
Source: Governor's office. 5.5.2011. VTrans 5.6.2011