The Marshfield Village Store, which sits at the intersection of two rural highways in a small Vermont town, has become a bit of everything in recent days as residents struggle to recover from historic floods that ravaged the state.
At first, the store in Marshfield, about 43 miles east of the state’s largest city, Burlington, housed about three dozen people. As of Friday, it was a distribution center for much-needed fresh water and a go-to for supplies.
“We’re about to get it out more formally, if there are other people who haven’t been able to get the support they need yet, so we can get equipment and volunteers for them, emergency meds, work on their properties, that’s where we are right now,” said Michelle Eddleman McCormick, the store’s general manager.
Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets via Associated Press
Storms earlier this week dumped up to two months’ worth of rain in parts of the region in a matter of days, more than when Tropical Storm Irene broke through in 2011 and caused widespread flooding. Officials called this week’s floods the state’s worst natural disaster since the 1927 floods, with some suggesting that storms like this could climate change.
More rain is expected in the coming days, and Vermont authorities said on Saturday that it brings with it the possibility of landslides.
The flood is responsible for one death: Stephen Davoll, 63, drowned Wednesday at his home in Barre, a central Vermont town of about 8,500 people, according to Vermont Emergency Management spokesman Mark Bosma. He urged people to take extra care as they return home and repair damage.
“Losing a Vermonter is always painful, but this is especially true this week,” U.S. Senator Peter Welch said in a statement.
It was the second flood-related death from a storm system and epic flooding in the northeast this week. The first was in upstate New York, where a woman was swept away by floodwaters in Fort Montgomery, a small community on the Hudson River about 45 miles north of New York City.
![Jodi Kelly, left, practice manager at Stonecliff Veterinary Surgical Center, behind, and her husband, veterinarian Dan Kelly, use a canoe to retrieve surgical supplies from the flood-damaged center.](https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/64b309e92200006200d0c43b.jpeg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale)
Steven Senne via Associated Press
President Joe Biden on Friday approved Vermont Governor Phil Scott’s request for a declaration of major disaster to provide federal aid. Scott also said late Friday that he has asked the US Department of Agriculture to issue a disaster label for the state due to crop damage.
Growers were hit hard, just after many growers endured a hard frost in May. It is expected to “destroy much of our produce and feed,” Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts said at a news conference. It was too early to determine damage costs, he said.
“In our mountainous state, much of our most fertile farmland is in river valleys, and countless fields of corn, hay, vegetables, fruits and pasture were inundated and buried,” Scott said.
Assessors from the Federal Emergency Management Agency were scheduled to begin inspecting hard-hit areas of Vermont on Saturday. This determines who is eligible for government support. US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg will also arrive in the state next week to survey the flood damage.
The state and others in the Northeast, including New Hampshire and Maine, are bracing for more wet weather expected to hit Sunday and next week. The New Hampshire Department of Safety and New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services said they are closely monitoring water levels across the state.
“We don’t know the magnitude of some of these storms,” Scott said.
![Volunteers clear a downtown parking lot on the banks of the Winooski River on July 12.](https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/64b30aa123000059007db776.jpeg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale)
Charles Krupa via Associated Press
Many communities have been in contact with emergency management officials in Vermont, but state officials said Friday they had not yet heard back from about two to three dozen of them. National Guard troops were sent to make contact. The state also announced that centers will open this weekend to help flood survivors recover in Barre and Ludlow, a ski town in southern Vermont.
Most emergency shelters have emptied, with fewer than 70 people remaining. The focus has shifted to providing food and water and restoring infrastructure, including dozens of closed roads. State officials estimate that 23 water treatment plants were flooded or discharged untreated sewage into waterways.
Ludlow residents have largely returned home and were able to get electricity and water, said municipal manager Brendan McNamara. All roads into the city that were previously closed due to flooding are now accessible.
But plenty of challenges remained. The post office and wastewater treatment plant were heavily damaged. The main supermarket and several restaurants were closed due to damage. In their place, dozens of pop-up pantries popped up to provide fresh meals. The community center has served as a clearinghouse for water, food, and medicine donated by volunteers pouring into the city.
“You walk up and down the street, and every spot that hasn’t been hit has a sign out the front – free food.” Please come and get it,” McNamara said. “That tells me we have a great community.”
![Buckets clear mud from a road in Montpelier on July 12.](https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/64b30af82300005a007db777.jpeg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale)
Charles Krupa via Associated Press
As of Friday, about 5,200 people statewide had registered to provide assistance through the state’s emergency management agency and an online volunteer recruiting effort, according to Philip Kolling, director of SerVermont.
“What we’re doing doesn’t even begin to capture all of the volunteers that are organized through local organizations, cities and informal networks, and we encourage those local efforts because they can often respond to critical needs more quickly,” Kolling said.
Some volunteers volunteered to drive Meals on Wheels or take people to medical appointments for the charity, others to help with general cleaning.
In Ludlow, the Calcutta restaurant prepared meals for first responders, volunteers and anyone who might need one. The large banquet hall was furnished with cots, water and toiletries.
“There’s plenty of work that needs to be done to get us back to normal,” said Michael Reyes, who works for a hospitality group that owns the restaurant.
With more rain on the way, it’s critical that residents adhere to safety restrictions as they dig out of the storm, said Miro Weinberger, mayor of Burlington, Vermont’s largest city.
“We continue to operate under the state of emergency and more heavy rain is expected on Sunday. Again, I urge you to follow all road closures and all directions from state and local officials, including to stay away from riverbanks, streams and streams where flash flooding can quickly occur,” Weinberger said.
McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire, and Whittle reported from Portland, Maine. Associated Press reporters Lisa Rathke in Marshfield and Michael Casey in Boston contributed.