Flood threat averted
All’s well that ends well, but Waterbury was prepared
December 14, 2024 | By Lisa Scagliotti
The Winooski River stayed within its banks during heavy rains on Wednesday that prompted a flood watch. Photo by Gordon Miller
A storm system loaded with rain put much of Vermont on flood watch last week but dropping temperatures and drought-level rivers and streams prevented a repeat mid-December flood the region sustained in 2023.
The alert in effect Wednesday into Thursday had state and local officials glued to weather and river forecasts, mobilizing people and materials that would be needed if flooding occurred, and alerting the public to be ready if flooding began.
In Waterbury, local officials and volunteers prepared and distributed sandbags to flood-prone neighborhoods downtown and along U.S. Route 2. Residents and businesses were encouraged to empty basements of any valuable items. Public Works staff made their rounds to check that storm drains were clear.
During the day, volunteer staff from CReW, the long-term flood recovery group still working with local residents following this summer’s floods, sent out emails to several hundred residents and business owners and posted on social media to alert community members to the potential impact of the rainstorm.
On Wednesday night, the Waterbury Select Board met for the second consecutive night, this time in an emergency session to review plans for the overnight watch as the Winooski River was predicted to crest by daybreak Thursday. Each board member volunteered to fan out to a neighborhood to go door-to-door if necessary to wake up residents should an evacuation have been needed.
Public Works Director Bill Woodruff said his staff would report to work at 4 a.m. to check roads, storm drains, etc. Municipal Manager Tom Leitz, who lives in Cambridge, was prepared to spend the night at his office.
But by the time the meeting convened, the river level had slowed its climb and the forecast had been revised to predict only minor flooding away from neighborhoods. For example, Woodruff said he expected Dac Rowe Park to flood, but water would not likely reach Main Street.
“I think we dodged a bullet,” select board member Mike Bard said.
Fire Chief Gary Dillon said swift water rescue teams coordinated by state Emergency Management were available to respond if called, although none were stationed in Waterbury that night. “They don’t anticipate any problems here,” he said. The same was true for the fire department which was on alert but volunteers were home. “We’re going to respond if we get calls,” he noted.
One spot local first responders were aware of was the Waterbury armory which is currently being used as a shelter for families experiencing homelessness. State Human Services spokesperson Ashley Roy said the armory on Wednesday was full with 11 families that included 19 adults and 12 children. While the armory is not likely to flood, the intersection of Armory Drive and Union Street has been underwater multiple times in the past year and a half when the Thatcher Brook spilled out of its banks filling that area with water and cutting off access to the nearby O’Hear Court neighborhood.
The plan on Wednesday was for the armory residents to shelter in place. “ In the event of flooding, it would likely be safest for everyone to remain in place at the facility until flooding recedes. The shelter is well-stocked with everything needed to support people, and attempting to move could pose unnecessary risks, especially if roads become impassable,” Roy said in an email to Waterbury Roundabout. “Families have access to reliable internet, a selection of books, games, and toys to help keep children entertained.”
Dillon said that in the event of an emergency, a call to 911 would summon Waterbury Ambulance Service and the fire department to assist.
The select board and town staff appeared pleased that various scenarios were covered, but board Chair Roger Clapp – who lives on Randall Street and has experienced flooding firsthand multiple times going back to Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 – played the devil’s advocate saying he wanted to talk through steps “assuming the projections are wrong.”
They agreed to pay close attention for several more hours to be sure the trend was tapering off. River forecast information from floods in 2023 and this past summer fell short of the actual impacts. The group agreed to a midnight check-in to reassess the likelihood that morning would bring flooded streets, homes and businesses.
In the end, the Winooski’s water level peaked sooner – before 5 a.m. – and lower – just over 415 feet which is below “action” level on the NOAA river graphs. Officials had been watching an evening revised forecast calling for the river around 7 a.m. to reach 418 feet, which is just below the minor flooding level of 419 feet.
Colder temperatures than expected along with low water levels in rivers and streams helped Vermont avoid another flood event.
St. Albans weather blogger Matt Sutkoski summed it up: “I think the drought conditions leading up to this storm were a saving grace. There was plenty of capacity for water to soak into the ground, and there was plenty of room within the rivers themselves to add water, since stream flows were so low. Also, temperatures remained lower than forecast in much of eastern, central and northern Vermont, so snow didn't melt as much as feared. Which meant less runoff.”
Dac Rowe Park remains snow-covered on Thursday morning. Recent floods have filled the park with water nearly to the roof of the pavilion on the left. Photo by Gordon Miller
Flood-related: text alerts, new town position, mitigation
During the board’s flood-focused meeting, the group discussed several related topics. Manager Leitz had posted messages on the town website and social media that day encouraging local residents to opt into a new texting local alert messaging system that he was intending to launch officially in January. Details on that new system using the TextMyGov platform are on the town website. No alerts ended up being issued during the flood watch, however.
The board noted that at their meeting the previous night they had voted unanimously to create a new volunteer town position of Natural Disaster Response Coordinator. The job description is contained in the agenda packet for the Dec. 10 select board meeting (p.30).
The one-page description notes the duties and scope of this role which would be paid a stipend from the town although the board did not set a specific stipend amount. The individual in this role would oversee and manage volunteers ready to respond during a flood or other natural disaster, ensure supplies were in order for such an event and then would coordinate the immediate action needed such as pumping out basements and starting flood cleanup. Long-term recovery activities would be handed off to the CReW (Community Resilience for the Waterbury Area) long-term flood recovery group formed in 2023 to serve Waterbury, Duxbury, Moretown, Bolton and Middlesex. Anyone interested in the position should contact the town manager.
CReW at the start of the week announced the promotion of its volunteer construction manager Mike Dacey to the new paid position of executive director. That role is being funded through grants and fundraising, not municipal funding, according to the CReW Board of Directors.
Without a local disaster response coordinator on board yet, Dacey and CReW volunteers were preparing and reported to the board that they were ready to notify volunteer teams the following day if needed. Speaking during the select board’s emergency meeting, Dacey commended the group for its preparation efforts calling them “to a higher standard” than in many other communities around the region.
The view of Randall Street from the cornfield on Thursday morning. One long-term flood-mitigation idea involves excavating to lower the cornfield surface. The property is currently owned by the state. Photo by Gordon Miller
The special select board meeting had just a few members of the public join remotely. During public comment, resident Valerie Rogers asked if town officials could share the latest information on applications to the state for flood mitigation projects for Waterbury.
Leitz said the state has about $90 million for mitigation measures such as home buyouts and local projects. Requests are likely in the neighborhood of $300-$400 million, Leitz said. Waterbury has submitted proposals to pursue a major excavation of the cornfield that sits between the Winooski River and the Randall Street neighborhood; a second for a hydrology study to map out floodplain details that could inform other efforts along other watersheds; and another to reinforce walls at the wastewater treatment plant. Waterbury officials have also approved nine home buyout requests that are in the process of approval from the state and FEMA, he said.
“No state grant money has been awarded yet,” Leitz said.
Rogers was particularly interested in the cornfield project. “Does that mean this is on hold?” she asked.
“We don’t own it,” Leitz replied. “We can’t do anything until we own it or the state gives us the go-ahead.”
The field is state property and a recent change in Gov. Phil Scott’s administration has added uncertainty to that question. The former Buildings and General Services Commissioner Jennifer Fitch who recently stepped down was in favor of the town taking ownership of the cornfield to pursue flood mitigation work. In October, Scott named Fitch’s successor: Wanda Minoli moved from leading the Department of Motor Vehicles to BGS. As for the cornfield, Leitz said so far, the new commissioner “likes the state owning it.”
Flood recovery continues
On Saturday CReW sent out a message to local residents it’s been assisting over the past year or so commending town leaders and residents for taking precautions during the flood watch. They said their work continues to assist anyone needing help with ongoing recovery tasks such as appeals of Federal Emergency Management Agency award decisions or details pertaining to rebuilding projects.
CReW board member Tessa Yip reported that a recent meeting to convene a local group to discuss mitigation efforts people are undertaking at their homes and businesses attracted attendees from each of the five communities CReW serves. One significant project on Rt. 2 that day involved a property owner moving a modular home in order to rebuild a foundation. CReW reported that the home had been repositioned to higher ground as a precaution given the flood watch.
CReW is staffing office hours at the Revitalizing Waterbury office on the second floor of 46 S. Main St. (above Waterbury Sports) on Tuesdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesdays 1-4 p.m. They will not be open the week of Dec. 23. Contact CReW at either 802-585-1152 or outreach@thecrewvt.org.
“Being prepared for rain and flooding all year round is exhausting, but we are building our strength – strengthening our homes and systems while we strengthen our communities,” Dacey’s message said.