Flood Update | Weekend alert
August 8, 2024 | By Waterbury Roundabout UPDATE: This post was updated on Friday morning 7:30 a.m. and again at 1:30 p.m. with a message from Waterbury’s municipal manager.
Meteorologists and Vermont emergency management officials are watching the weather forecasts carefully and advise Vermonters to the same as the storm remnants of Hurricane Debby that hit Florida and the southeastern U.S. this week head to New England this weekend.
A Flood Watch is a call to be prepared. A Flood Warning indicates that flooding is imminent or occurring. U.S. National Weather Service image
Predictions for the heaviest rains are focused on northern New York state but the storm track still calls for a significant rain event of 1-3 inches in Vermont Friday into Saturday. With saturated conditions from recent storms, there may be impacts from flash flooding and streams and rivers filling.
As of 7:20 a.m. Friday, a Flood Watch has been issued for Washington County from 8 a.m. Friday through Saturday morning. The heaviest rain is expected late Friday and overnight into Saturday. Local residents should be alert should that be upgraded to a Flood Warning.
“I encourage Vermonters to monitor storm updates and be prepared,” Vermont Emergency Management Director Eric Forand said on Thursday. “Damaged rivers and roads from July’s floods will make this event more unpredictable than usual. It’s difficult to know where the water will go and exactly how much rivers and streams can take.”
Important steps in preparing for floods include charting out a safe route to higher ground, knowing how to shut off power to your home in the event you need to evacuate, and having extra food, water, flashlights, batteries, and medications in the event you become homebound.
Vermont emergency management officials say they are preparing for any eventuality. The Vermont State Emergency Operations Center is monitoring the storm.
Midday on Friday, Waterbury Municipal Manager Tom Leitz posted a message on Facebook telling residents that town public works crews will be on duty overnight and early Saturday morning, but they think this storm will have a lesser impact than the July 10 storm.
“Thankfully, it appears we will not experience any significant flooding from this latest storm. Public Works will have both a late night and a morning work crew to identify and problems that may arise, and they have done a lot of prep work clearing culverts and ditches. We will post if anything changes, but we are hopeful we won’t have a repeat of the 7/11 flood,” Leitz wrote.
Other links:
U.S. National Weather Service in Burlington website and Facebook
Vermont Emergency Management website and on Facebook.
Subscribe to Vermont Alert at www.vtalert.gov to receive weather information and other alerts for your area via text, phone, or email.
Below is a message from the Waterbury-based CReW organization with tips for those in flood-prone areas.
Flood alert: Preparedness message from CReW
Hello Waterbury neighbors,
Unfortunately, we are once again facing flood risk this Friday and Saturday. With the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby on its way to New England and with Vermont in the path, we may see heavy downpours and an increased flood risk.
Though the storm path and magnitude may keep shifting in the days ahead, we encourage everyone to stay alert, start preparing, and make a plan. It’s better to prepare now and have the storm miss us.
Currently, NOAA has Vermont in the “moderate” risk zone for flooding on Friday. A “moderate” risk is level 3 of 4. Due to our saturated soils from already having flood events this summer, the flood risk is heightened in Vermont.
As of Wednesday, August 7th at 4 pm, this is what Tropical Storm Debby may bring:
Rain to begin Friday afternoon and continuing into Saturday
Concern is for both river flooding and flash flooding
1 - 3” of rain possible, may be higher in localized pockets
CReW is monitoring the situation closely, please check our Facebook and Instagram for updates. You can also check the Town of Waterbury’s Facebook page or website for critical updates.
The Town of Waterbury has sandbags available to be filled:
Sand and sandbags are available at the Waterbury Town Garage (1707 Guptil Rd)
An individual sandbag can weigh upwards of 40 lbs. A truck may be necessary to get enough sandbags to your house/business.
If you are unable to do this yourself, please let us know. CReW may be able to help you fill sandbags or get them to your house/business.
If you have the energy, please fill a few extra and leave them for the next person.
Be prepared and make a plan:
We would like to recommend that if you are concerned about water in your basement, you remove any valuable items you may have placed there - ask friends to help!
If you don’t already have one, get a sump pump for your basement.
If you are unable to do this for yourself, let us know - the Waterbury CReW may be able to recruit volunteers to help you. If you need help moving things, please email us or call and leave a message at 802-585-1152.
Pack a GO Bag in case you need to leave in a hurry! Make plans for your pets and move your car to higher ground.
Before the storm hits, move your cars to higher ground.
Please make a good effort to protect yourself and your belongings, keep an eye on the storm forecast, river level, and take good care of each other.
We will be in touch if conditions change. We know it’s difficult to have another flood risk on the horizon, but CReW is here to support you and as always, we will stay Vermont Strong.
Be safe,
The Waterbury CReW
802-585-1152
outreach@thecrewvt.org