Duxbury faces biggest storm-recovery challenge yet
July 12, 2024 | By Sandy Yusen | CorrespondentJuly 13: Corrected the culvert sizes. It’s 15 feet in diameter, replacing the previous 12-foot culvert. Road should be open this weekend.
2:30 p.m. update | Photos from Atwood Road culvert replacement in progress.
9:30 a.m. Update | Details on the Atwood Road culvert repair were updated.
A new 15-foot culvert is being installed today on Atwood Road, replacing the 12-foot pipe that was irreparably damaged in Wednesday’s storms. Photo by Gordon Miller
Duxbury Selectboard Chair Richard Charland got an email and text from Duxbury Road Foreman Brian Gibbs late Wednesday night telling him the situation was bad. At his home atop Duxbury Hill, Charland said, “I sat and listened to Niagara Falls come down where I live…and in the 20-some years I’ve lived here, I’ve never seen it that flooded.”
Charland drove out to assess the damage, navigating flooded waterways in the dark.
“The water was pouring down Crossett, and when I drove down Route 100 you could see on each side of the road how the road was undermined,” he said.
He learned that flooding was significant on many town roads, and bridges on Route 100 at Ward Hill and 100B in Moretown had washed out. “Unfortunately, it hit us at the worst time – right in the middle of the night. And we were up at 5:30 this morning and out looking at things and it was not a pretty sight,” he said.
After assessing the damage, the Duxbury Selectboard called an emergency meeting Thursday afternoon, to report on conditions across town and provide updates on initial efforts to repair roadways and culverts. The gathering included selectboard members, other town officials and a few homeowners.
Charland laid out the immediate priority: “We’re committed to getting all of the roads open so everybody is accessible,” he said.
River Road disappears under the Winooski’s floodwaters on Thursday morning in Duxbury. Photo by Gordon Miller
Road Foreman Brian Gibbs gave a rundown on all of the roads impacted by the storm and repairs underway, the latest updates of which are listed below. Despite the lengthy list, Gibbs was undaunted by the task at hand. “All in all, everything is moving toward a reasonable pace in terms of what we have to deal with,” he said.
The damage from Wednesday night’s storm was far more significant in Duxbury than the July 10, 2023 flood which submerged River Road but left most residents unaffected. This time around, according to Charland, the south end of town sustained the most impact. Road damage in the north end closest to Waterbury was limited to minor ruts and washouts. One bright spot: No homes were badly flooded. “Fortunately, we have not had any homeowners impacted—anyone that’s had to leave their house,” Charland said.
Charland was reluctant to compare this storm with those in the past because each storm has had varying impacts on Duxbury. In 2011, two storms walloped the town – Irene in late summer, and an earlier storm in late May. That year, repairs from the May storm were undone by Irene. It took until November to get all of the roads open and usable. Even today, the town’s long-term road maintenance plan lists work needed to address long-term fixes to roads damaged by Irene.
Now Charland estimates that the cost to repair damage from this latest storm will exceed that of past storms. “If I had to take a guess looking right now at the damage that was done – with the culverts that need replacing up on Dowsville and Atwood [roads], I would say right now we’re probably looking at a million and a half. But then again, that’s just a guess.”
First things first – getting roads passable. “Once we get everything open, we need to take an assessment of all the damaged areas and what it’s going to cost us, or what’s involved in putting the roads back together,” Charland said.
To that end, town officials encourage residents to document damage so that accurate reports can be compiled for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Town officials stressed the importance of photos, even of small damage, in documenting evidence for FEMA claims.
After submitting documentation, the town will need to wait for FEMA and President Biden to approve an emergency disaster declaration to release federal funds that will assist recovery efforts. On July 9, the president approved a disaster declaration for Texas in the wake of Hurricane Beryl. It was the remnants of that storm that has now flooded Vermont this week. Selectboard members agreed that the damage Duxbury and surrounding towns are reporting likely will meet qualifications for disaster relief.
In the meantime, Duxbury residents and others needing support with flood damage, cleanup, FEMA/SBA reporting, and rebuilding assistance should reach out to CReW in Waterbury via email at outreach@thecrewvt.org or phone 802-585-1152 (leave a message). CReW is a long-term recovery committee created for Waterbury area residents after the July 2023 floods. The group serves Waterbury, Duxbury, Bolton, Moretown and Middlesex.
Nine-year-old Ellie offers some scale to the depth of the road washout near Westcott and Crossett Hill roads in Duxbury. Photo by Molly Dubois
Duxbury didn’t need to tap into CReW during last year’s floods given that damage was minimal. But Duxbury resident Mame McKee, who has been working with CReW in Waterbury and represents Duxbury on the committee, said she believes it makes sense for the town to partner with CReW this time.
McKee shared that working with FEMA on flood recovery has been complicated, but progress has been made. “Because we’ve been at this for a while, we have figured out the paperwork side of this,” she said. “One of the issues with FEMA, along with the fact that there are so many disasters now for them to deal with, is that in other states they deal with county government, and so they have this system set up that works in other places that can’t even land here in Vermont. But they’ve identified better ways to do that, and so we’re hopeful.”
Duxbury officials aim to strengthen the lines of communication during emergencies, and they encourage town residents to subscribe to the town’s email list which is free and available on the town’s website at duxburyvermont.org/subscribe. Past town newsletters relayed using the email system are archived on that page as well.
“Trying to get everybody in town signed up – it’s the easiest way that we can use to notify people,” Charland said.
The town website’s Selectboard page also includes a recording of Thursday’s emergency board meeting minutes will be added soon. Homeowners attending the meeting also suggested using NextDoor and Front Porch Forum platforms to publicize updates and information.
As the meeting concluded, Charland appealed to Duxbury residents to take care while repairs get completed, as many roads are down to single lanes with washouts on the edges. “The only other thing we ask is that you have some patience and travel slowly,” he said.
The bridge washout on Vermont Route 100 just south of Harwood Union High School near Ward Hill in Duxbury will be a state repair project, but it impacts local traffic connecting Waterbury/Duxbury and the Mad River Valley. Photo by Gordon Miller
Road condition update (as of Friday morning)
The following update is compiled from reports from Duxbury town officials. The status of roads will change as work proceeds on Friday. Local residents should look for new email updates from the town.
Ward Hill Road: Contractor Kingsbury in Waitsfield was hired to make the road passable. Given the bridge damage on Rt. 100 nearby, “We are fortunate they were on the right side,” Charland said.
Atwood Road: A large culvert was destroyed by stormwater. Work to replace it will be taking place today (Friday).
Dowsville Road: Work is ongoing with about two-thirds of the road passable on Thursday.
Stevens Brook Road: Contractor help has been brought in. Multiple culvert repairs including a 15-foot hole need work.
Turner Hill Road: A washout along a section Webster Road made it impassable. Residents should use the northern connection to Route 100 from Webster Road until repairs are made.
Crossett Hill Road: Open and passable. Some sections have been graded. This includes Pollander Road.
Morse Road: The grader passed through to deal with mud but a washout near the top still needs work.
River Road: Passable with substantial mud. The culvert near Hart Road needs replacing.
Camels Hump, Scrabble Hill, Mountain View: Rough conditions but passable.
Marshall Road: Graded and open.
Local officials urge residents to travel slowly on gravel roads as they work to repaid widespread damage. This washout was captured by Gwenna Peters on Morse Road near Isham Way.