July 12, 2023 | By Lisa Scagliotti and Cheryl Casey

***Out for a morning paddle on Union Street on Tuesday morning. Photo by Sarah Milligan***

NOTE: This post was updated at 1:40 a.m. on July 12.

Tuesday’s sunshine was accompanied by receding floodwaters by afternoon and evening.

“Randall Street is substantially down. Main Street at the fire station is high and dry,” said Town Manager Tom Leitz late Tuesday afternoon. “We’re moving in the right direction.”

As of Wednesday morning, all roads are now open in Waterbury. The list of road closures below has been deleted.

Adjustments have been made for summer youth recreation camp to resume today, and for a bit of good news: “The pool never flooded,” Leitz said. To take advantage of that good fortune the pool and the showers at the pool will be open for the rest of the week at the end of the day for people to swim and/or use the facilities, he said.

Local residents in the Winooski River corridor are looking forward to more sunshine today as town officials coordinate some of the assistance being brought to bear to deal with water, mud and cleanup. Dumpsters are ordered to be positioned in flood-hit areas for local residents to use free of charge. Delivery of the first two is “imminent,” according to Leitz, possibly today. The initial two will be positioned on Randall Street with others coming soon afterward for other neighborhoods with flood cleanup. In addition, Leitz said the town has received 10 dehumidifiers to loan out free of charge. Leitz said he is still looking for more. “The demand is high,” he said.

Select Board Vice Chair Dani Kehlmann said the form created to sign up people who are offering to help and those who need assistance can be used to match people with dehumidifiers to loan with those in need.

Volunteer coordination is under way to get homeowners the assistance they need to clean basements. Leitz said that most flooding impacts were confined to basements, which will take work to clean and ensure moisture is addressed to prevent mold growth. That level of water from the river flooding is less severe than in 2011 when flooding from Tropical Storm Irene flooded the Winooski River corridor in Waterbury and Duxbury filling many homes’ first floors with several feet of water, requiring extensive renovations afterward.

Leitz estimated that only about a dozen homes have flooding affecting their first floors.

Several town officials were meeting this morning to begin planning how to coordinate volunteers and assignments going forward. With trash containers arriving soon, that work can begin. Select Board Chair Roger Clapp, who lives on Randall Street and has a flooded basement, commented on how some neighbors are ready for volunteer assistance.

Issues raised to address as the volunteer effort begins included how to handle hazardous materials in basements when they are cleaning, portable toilets for volunteers, safety and proper practices for cleaning off after working in the river mud, liability waivers.

Al Lewis from Waterbury Rotary Club spoke and reminded the board that the town now owns Rusty Parker Memorial Park (it was transferred from the Edward Farrar Utility District in 2022) and it was not flooded as it was by Irene in 2011. He suggested that the park could serve as a convenient staging location for volunteers. The bandstand, gazebo and pump house building with restrooms, running water and power would be ideal, Lewis said. It could be a gathering place, a spot to cook food and a place for people to even wash off after working in mud.

“You have an asset right there that can be used for something other than concerts in the park and activities,” Lewis told the board.

More details will be shared on next steps as they are decided.

Important notes:

An online signup for volunteers and requests for help has been created. It’s on the town website, WaterburyVt.com in the News section listed on a resource document that will be updated regularly with helpful information. People both needing help and offering to help should use this form to get on an appropriate list when volunteers can expect assignments. The resource document has details on shutting off power and water, other information sources, etc. Select Board members this morning said that some 435 people had already used the sign up form for both requests for help and offers with offers being the majority. People volunteering are from “within and beyond Waterbury,” said board member Alyssa Johnson.
Basement pumping assistance: Public Works staff from Burlington and St. Albans have offered to assist with pumping water from basements. Crews from Burlington and Stowe are in town today and work is under way. Property owners seeking assistance should fill out this online form or call the town offices at 802-244-7033.

As information becomes available

This post will be updated throughout the day if there is new information, so please check back for more. Send new items to waterburyroundabout@gmail.com.

Here is some of what we know so far today.

Rec Camp is ON | Free open swim a 4-8 pm | New Rec Director

Three updates from the Recreation Department:

After a one-day pause, Waterbury summer recreation camp is back today. Middle school campers will be at Brookside Primary School due to flooding at the Methodist Church. School principals said the town program can use the school building for the remainder of the summer if necessary. Leitz thanked the principals for their collaboration and also noted that Monica Callan, director at the Grange Hall Cultural Center in Waterbury Center offered the rec program use of the hall at a large discount. Groups may consider that as well, he noted.
Today, Thursday and Friday, from 4 to 8 p.m., the town pool will be open for free to all residents to cool off at the end of what may be very busy days. The showers at the pool building are also available for anyone who needs them.
This information was sent along by Waterbury’s new Recreation Director Katarina Lisaius whose first day on the job was Monday, July 10, as Dac Rowe Park filled up with floodwaters. Waterbury Roundabout hopes to sit down with her soon for a story to introduce her to the community.

Next Special Select Board meeting | Noon on thursday, July 13

The Waterbury Select Board has held two special meetings so far this week and has another scheduled for Thursday. The board met on Tuesday with more than 100 people in attendance, the majority online via Zoom. Town Clerk Karen Petrovic who runs the video conference said about 20 people attended with about 85 online. Today’s meeting also was hybrid both in person at the town offices and via Zoom with about three dozen online and some in the meeting room at the municipal office.

Some of the business covered:

Items for discussion include planning to coordinate volunteer efforts and cleanup, current and emerging needs in the community as mentioned above. Volunteers and residents in need should be hearing from coordinators soon to get those efforts under way.
The Select Board voted to appoint former Waterbury Municipal Manager Bill Shepeluk to the position of town Health Officer which will be a necessary role to address flood-impacted homes. They agreed to pay him a stipend of $100/month for those duties which typically fall to the Select Board chair and/or town manager. Shepeluk was town manager in 2011 when Tropical Storm Irene hit in August and left the municipal offices unusable. First the town staff worked out of a classroom at the primary school and then they moved to the Main Street fire station until 2016 when the new offices were built. “We are so fortunate to have a place to work in unlike last time when the town offices were flooded at 51 South Main.
The board also voted to approve of Leitz creating a Facebook page for town government. Leitz suggested that having the social media option during Monday’s storm would have been a useful public communication tool. There also was discussion of creating an email list to send communications to people who might prefer that method.
Brookside Primary School Co-Principal Chris Neville said the school would not be open tonight as a shelter. Co-Principal Sarah Schoolcraft earlier this morning told Waterbury Roundabout that no residents needed overnight accommodations last night Tuesday. On Monday there were four people, she said. Neville noted that should the need change, the school is available.
Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator Gary Dillon said flood response efforts through Tuesday have gone smoothly with no injuries.
Public Works Director Bill Woodruff commented on opening roads (see below) and some repairs needed in spots to do so such as a section of Gregg Hill Road. Also, street sweeping is beginning. Clapp said the Randall Street neighborhood, for example, has about an inch of silt on the road and sidewalks from the floodwaters after it receded.
Leitz said he asked Woodruff to check several bridges in areas where there was high water. “No need for concern,” Woodruff said, noting that none appeared to have sustained any damage in the past several days.
Woodruff said crews from Burlington and Stowe public works departments are in town helping with pumping basements. The wastewater treatment plant is also still experiencing “very, very, very high levels” of inflow from floodwaters. The pump station has not been flooded, however. The plant has not had an overflow incident so Woodruff noted, but “there’s no room in the lagoons. We’re close.” Staff are seeking out additional pumps, he said.

The board agreed to meet again tomorrow, Thursday, July 13. The public is encouraged to attend the select board meeting to ask questions and get information firsthand. Attending virtually will avoid having to drive into downtown Waterbury.

Child care at Brookside Primary School

Brookside Primary School is offering drop-in childcare from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today for families impacted by flooding. The school also has collected nonperishable food and water available to anyone in need. Check in at the gym. Children of all ages including babies and toddlers, preschoolers and older kids. Bring any supplies that your child will need during the day.

Co-Principal Chris Neville said a decision will be made later today whether child care will be offered tomorrow. It will be based on need. This post will be updated later on whether that is ending or not.

***Road closed sign on Union Street on Tuesday, July 11. Artist unknown. Photo by Lauren Milideo***

Road Closures as of 9:30 a.m. Wednesday

ALL ROADS IN WATERBURY ARE OPEN to travel. Winooski Street near the bridge had a temporary lane constructed to allow for traffic through a washed out area. The lane gives residents in Duxbury a route across the river because River Road is closed from the bridge to Main Street in Duxbury. “It’s passable,” said Public Works Director Bill Woodruff. The project was done in collaboration with the Duxbury Highway Department which provided gravel for the construction, he added. The new lane is temporary, however, and the road will need to be rebuilt.
FOR THURSDAY: The Waterbury end of Winooski Street will be CLOSED for road work on Thursday, July 13, from 8 a.m. to noon
U.S. Route 2 between the intersection with Vermont Route 100 and Vermont Route 100B is now reopened, according to a state transportation alert this morning as well.

NOTE: Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator Gary Dillon on Tuesday said it is concerning to see many sightseers in town in vehicles and small boats going through floodwaters on streets and in open fields that likely are contaminated with sewage, contain debris and could have hazards.

The concern is for people’s safety should they get caught in currents, Dillon said, stressing that people avoid floodwaters.

Water & Wastewater note

Public Works Director Bill Woodruff on Tuesday stressed that Town drinking water is not contaminated and is safe to drink. Unline bulletins in other communities, there is no boiling recommendation.

On the wastewater side, the treatment plant was still experiencing extremely high levels of water on Tuesday with the plant near its capacity. Edward Farrar Utility District managers asked the state of Vermont to keep workers home from their Waterbury offices. The complex is temporarily closed and Gov. Phil Scott said Tuesday that state workers would return when flooding receded and issues related to the flood were resolved.

Woodruff said the utility district also requested that Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory cut back on wastewater for the short term. They have asked managers at the State Office Complex, & Ben and Jerry’s to reduce wastewater generation as the system is straining to keep up with the heavy volume of storm water.

Duxbury Update

*River Road in Duxbury is closed near the Winooski Street bridge to Waterbury. Beyond the sign, water rushes across the road on Monday, July 10. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti*

In Duxbury, town officials are monitoring conditions but stated in a notice on their website that overall, Duxbury “fared very well” during the storm and ensuing flooding event.

In a separate email to the Waterbury Roundabout, Selectboard Chair Richard Charland said that the river “did flood some of the land on Main Street. I don't believe it came up high enough for anyone to evacuate.” Other brooks and streams in town stayed within their banks, he confirmed.

River Road, which runs parallel to the Winooski River, is closed from Main Street to the Winooski Street bridge, and from Camel’s Hump Road to the Bolton town line. “These closures are a result of the Winooski breaching its banks,” the Selectboard wrote in its notice, adding, “We will not be able to evaluate any damage to our roads until the river goes down.”

Officials directed residents to contact 911 for medical and other emergency needs and 211 for shelter assistance and guidance. With more rain forecast for Thursday and Friday this week, the notice also reminded residents to remain vigilant and cautious about conditions, particularly residents along Main Street.

BUSINESS / ORGANIZATION / GOVT. MEETING UPDATES

Know that businesses may not be open or may not have regular hours. We will list closures as we become aware of them.

In addition, Waterbury Economic Development Director Mark Pomilio Jr. on Tuesday said he will collect information to share with business owners as they respond and recover from this disaster. Updates will go in the Revitalizing Waterbury business newsletter that’s posted on the Revitalizing Waterbury website and emailed to anyone who signs up for the distribution list.

Revitalizing Waterbury Executive Director Karen Nevin on Tuesday said Waterbury Arts Fest will be postponed from this Friday-Saturday, July 14-15, planned dates. Annual block party and arts festival was to take place at Pilgrim Park. RW organizers will aim to reschedule later in the summer or early fall, Nevin said. Photo by Chris Eaton

Axel’s Frame Shop and Gallery - closed all week
Black Cap Coffee & Bakery - closed in Waterbury and Morrisville; Stowe, Burlington locations are open
Bridgeside Books - Event with Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman postponed.
Crossroads Beverage & Deli - closed; gas pumps open
Green Mountain Performing Arts - closed through this week to reinstall flooring that was removed before the flood as a precaution. The school did not have any water damage, according to director Jenna Companion. Classes are expected to resume on Monday.
Green Mountain Dog Club of Waterbury and Woodstock Dog Club’s Vermont Scenic Circuit Dog Shows in Tunbridge on July 13-16 have been canceled this year due to the fairgrounds being flooded.
Hen of the Wood - closed
Ice Center remains closed today with an aim to open tomorrow. The access road was just opened today and it needs to be cleared of mud from the river.
McGillicuddy’s Irish Pub - closed
Northfield Savings Bank is closed to in-person visits. ATM is open. Check when it will resume operations on the NSB website.
Pack & Send - closed
Prohibition Pig Pub and Brewery - closed until further notice
Red Poppy Cakery - closed
Stone’s Throw Pizza - closed
Waterbury Conservation Commission - July 11 meeting with a presentation about the Community Values mapping project is postponed to Aug. 8.
Waterbury Recreation Committee - Meeting for Thursday, July 13, is canceled and will be rescheduled.
Waterbury Sports - closed until further notice

Where to donate

The Waterbury Good Neighbor Fund is a local fund run by the parent nonprofit that also oversees the Waterbury Area Food Shelf. It can accept donations by check or online via PayPal to help community members in need after the flood. Instructions on donating are online at waterburycast.org.

In addition, Capstone Community Action serving Washington, Lamoille and Orange counties will be accepting donations for flood relief soon and that information will be shared when available.

Flood update: Weds., July 12