Authorities in Montpelier, Vermont, notified residents of a “potentially dangerous situation” Tuesday as its dam appeared close to overflowing amid rainstorms and flooding in the area.
The Wrightsville Dam in Montpelier City was roughly a foot from overflowing as of noon Tuesday, according to a Facebook post from the Montpelier Police Department.
“Every additional foot of water that goes over the spillway doubles the amount of water entering the City from the dam,” the post reads. (RELATED: Deadly Storm Threatens 13 Million Americans)
If the dam overflows, that would be the first time such an event has ever occurred, according to an early-morning Facebook post from the city.
“If water exceeds capacity, the first spillway will release water into the North Branch River. This has never happened since the dam was built so there is no precedent for potential damage. There would be a large amount of water coming into Montpelier which would drastically add to the existing flood damage,” the post reads.
National Guard helicopters are assisting with evacuations in the “hardest-hit” communities and remote areas that are not easily accessible by swift water teams, Fox Weather reported.
The rainstorms began in New York’s Hudson Valley, leading the National Weather Service (NWS) to declare Flash Flood warnings for the surrounding communities, according to the outlet. The rain eventually started to enter New England, with Vermont reportedly witnessing the most flooding out of the states in the region.
Aerial footage from NBC 5 shows floodwaters in various towns around Vermont.
“Make no mistake, the devastation and flooding we’re experiencing across Vermont is historic and catastrophic,” Republican Vermont Gov. Phil Scott said in a press conference, according to the outlet. “Although the coming days, weeks and months will be incredibly difficult, we’ve faced challenges before, and Vermonters have risen to meet the moment.”
The roads around my house were completely impassable this morning. Grateful for the @VTVast snowmobile trail network, which I was able to hike through to get to an open road and on to our emergency response center. pic.twitter.com/E6ckLMkleM
— Governor Phil Scott (@GovPhilScott) July 11, 2023
The state’s largest flood was in 1927. Eighty-four people, including the then-lieutenant governor, were killed in the weather event, according to the National New Weather.