Flooding has occurred in the north-east of the USA as a result of rain. The state of Vermont, in which a dam is now threatening to overflow, is also affected. President Biden declared a state of emergency.
After floods caused by heavy rains, US President Joe Biden declared a disaster for the US state of Vermont. This allows federal funds to be released for relief measures. According to authorities, more than 100 people were rescued from cars and houses.
Dam threatens to overflow
The move came after officials warned that a dam was about to overflow four miles north of Montpelier, the state capital. “This has never happened since the dam was built, so it’s not clear what damage can occur,” said Montpelier City Manager William Fraser, referring to the Wrightsville dam.
Accordingly, the dam is approaching the point at which an overflow channel would have to direct water into the north arm of the Winooski River. This would worsen the flooding within Montpelier. The center of the city of 8,000 inhabitants was under water after the rains. Pictures showed, among other things, kayakers paddling across a flooded road. There were initially no reports of deaths or injuries.
“The destruction and flooding we are witnessing is historic and catastrophic,” said Vermont Gov. Phil Scott. The flooding exceeded “the magnitude of Tropical Storm Irene,” which killed six people in the state in 2011.
Heavy rains in several states
In the northeastern United States, including the states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Vermont, heavy rain had fallen the previous day. Bridges were washed away and roads became impassable, footage released by authorities showed. A woman died in upstate New York. The region around the Hudson River, which leads to New York City, was particularly affected.
The flooding coincides with a number of other extreme weather phenomena in North America and around the world. Canada is experiencing an unprecedentedly severe forest fire season, with thick clouds of smoke even covering a number of major US cities such as New York and Chicago. In addition, a heat wave is rolling towards the southwest of the USA – temperatures of almost 50 degrees are feared in the city of Phoenix in Arizona.