The Day After: Vermont Takes Count as Waters Recede

By Layla Kalinen
EAGLE TIMES VERMONT REPORTER
WINDSOR COUNTY, Vt. — In the aftermath of Monday’s floods, Vermont saw both devastation and benevolence.

Emergency responders poured into the towns from as far as Hartford, Vermont, assisting their neighbors in Chester, Ludlow, Proctorsville and Cavendish.

In Chester and Andover, it was emergency services from Springfield, Bellows Falls and Rockingham helping out.

Springfield Fire Chief Paul Stagner said his town had faired well because a dam in North Springfield was able to absorb most of the flooding.

North Springfield, however, wasn’t so lucky and had emergency requests because of it’s proximity to the confluence of the Cold River and Black River.

“We had few areas that flooded. There’s some private residence that were flooded in the North End of town because it was was it close to a river, Stagner said, “We had some vehicles and a few houses flooding.”

Stagner said the U.S Army Army Reserve came in to assist with Springfield and area towns that were more overwhelmed by the flooding.

The Army team was on the ground even before the worst of the flooding arriving at 11 p.m. Friday.

“We had we housed some USAR teams and we were well protected from flooding, so we shared some resources with neighboring towns,” Stagner said, “They arrived here first thing in the morning and deployed relatively quickly.”

By Monday, they had everyone geared up to handle the oncoming storm, Stagner said.

“By Monday morning we then housed the North Carolina USAR teams here got them situated and we deployed our people with them to areas where people needed to be rescued,” Stagner said.

“We of course had our own little issues,” Stagner said. But it didn’t stop them from helping with a propane leak in a Chester residence.

Bellows Falls Police Chief David Bemis wore two hats, standing in for his Rockingham counterpart as Chief Shaun McGinnis was out of town when the flood warning was raised.

McGinnis said he is working closely with Bemis long distance and keeping tabs on the situation. Bemis said Bellows Falls got lucky and his teams ended up heading to Chester, a 16 mile trip up Route 103. In Chester, they helpeed as waters engulfed roads and a Sunoco gas station.

“I think we got lucky. I’m glad Chief Bemis is standing in. I wish I was there, but I will be soon,” McGinnis lamented.

Bemis said the department evacuated in Bellows Falls that emergency services attended and then they headed to Chester.

Some individuals had to be evacuated from along the Coal River, Bemis said. “At the North Shore trailer park, it was a close call with the water backing up to residences before receding.”

“Westminster did OK as well that was the information that I got this morning they did not have a lot of they did not have a lot of trouble,” Bemis said.

In Athens, where Bemis lives, the town “did pretty well” except for a trailer park where residents were able to get out safely until the water receded. No roads were washed out.

Fire Chief Darren Spaulding of Hartford said he had emergencies on one side of town, but he was kept busy escorting incoming teams to Proctorsville, Chester and Ludlow.

The Lyndonville Fire Department’s swift water team staged out of Hartford’s station and deployed over Ludlow, Proctorsville and Chester, Spaulding said.

Spaulding said Proctorsville, Cavendish and Ludlow need help.

Some towns they could help, others they couldn’t reach.

A call to Proctorsville had to be cancelled because the roads were impassable, but on their way back to Hartford the team diverted to Chester where they were able to help, Spaulding said.

Proctorsville Fire Chief Robert Glidden said his town is almost completely isolated with both roads and the railroad tracks damaged — a church and the Crows Corner Bakery were completely inaccessible Tuesday.

“The road won’t be fixed for weeks. We have some help with people bringing in supplies and we have contractors working from this morning,” Glidden said.