Vermont Damage Reports Still Coming In From Weekend Storm. Will Wet Spring Lead To Another Summer Of Floods?

Via WCAX, flooding Saturday in White River 
Junction, Vermont. Severe storms over the weekend
punctuated a very wet May, leading to speculation
we might have more flash floods this summer.

 Vermonters are still tallying the damage from Saturday's storms that left damage scattered throughout the state.  

Hartford and White River Junction  were especially hard hit with destructive winds and flooding. Hartford officials said 31 homes received at least some damage from flooding and as of yesterday residents of five homes were still displaced.

The emergency room at the VA Hospital in White River Junction had to be temporarily moved due to flooding, though overall hospital operations are still going on as scheduled. 

Another home was severely damaged in Hartford when a large tree fell on it. In another spot, a garage was flattened by falling trees.

The National Weather Service said the microburst that hit the Hartford area packed winds of between 65 and 80 mph, depending on the neighborhood.

In Bristol, Vermont, a landslide threatened West Street, also known as Routes 116 and 17. Crews this week are working to shore up the road, meaning travelers that can expect delays and possible detours.  Heavy rains likely caused the slope failure.  

As noted in Sunday's post, other damage was reported across the state. Roads were temporarily closed in Waitsfield, Warren, Plainfield, East Montpelier and other towns. 

WET MAY, MORE FLOODIING?

This is turning out to be a wet, soggy May and more rain is on the way. So far this month, Montpelier has had 5.55 inches of rain;  St. Johnsbury 5.1 and Burlington 4.31 inches,  That's more than should fall in the entire month of May. 

We won't come close to breaking a May rainfall record. In Burlington that honor goes to May, 2013 with 8.74 inches. 

We probably won't receive an extraordinary amount of rain in the next week, just light stuff north with likely somewhat heavier rain south. 

This shouldn't  cause any new flooding. But the new precipitation coupled with a lack of sunshine will keep soils saturated for awhile yet. 

If we have a wet summer with plenty of downpours, the soggy May could set Vermont up for another season of damaging flash floods. We've had two years in a row of that, so we don't need a third.

There's no guarantees, of course. The weather pattern could change and we could end up having a rather dry summer.

For what it's worth, long range forecasts call for a warmer and wetter than normal summer, That hints at the kind of humid days that could produce torrential downpours and flash floods.  True, such long range forecasts aren't always accurate, but it's something to think about. 

Climate change isn't helping. A warmer atmosphere holds more water, which can be released in the form of intense storms. Rainfall in Vermont has increased as a result.  Summer downpours are often more torrential than ever, dropping immense amount of rain in a short period of time. 

That's what happened Saturday in parts of Vermont. A few areas received an inch of rain in less than half hour.  

Just to be on the safe side, if you live in a flood prone area, make sure now that your flood insurance is up to date. Have a plan to escape fast if water rises. It also wouldn't hurt to have a "to go" bag prepared with necessities ahead of time in case you need to make a hasty flood retreat.