HARDWICK AREA – A second 100 year flood came to our area of Vermont just a year after the last one, this time dumping from just over 2.5 inches in Hardwick to 7.25 inches in Walden.
Hardwick Road Foreman Tom Fadden cleans mud off Wolcott Street after the flood waters receded on Thursday.
The devastation seems less severe in most places, but not all.
When the sun rose on Thursday, July 11, and the heaviest rain had mostly stopped, drizzle continued in places through much of the day. Floodwaters continued to rise as people began to survey the damage. Town officials began to post road and river updates with Hardwick suggesting the Lamoille River was expected to rise through midday.
In most places the height of flooding had been reached by noon and floodwaters began to recede, leaving behind severely eroded riverbanks, washed out bridges and culverts, impassable roads, flooded basements and businesses, along with mud covered streets, yards and outdoor furniture.
Many people were unable to go on with their normal daily routines and some had been displaced from their homes.
Town road crews with dump trucks, graders and other heavy equipment began to haul gravel, replace washed out culverts and grade roads. The effort quickly reopened some closed roads and streets. Much damage occurred along the sides of roads and washed out culverts at the ends of driveways, which road crews and residents worked to repair for several days.
The state quickly dispatched inspectors to dams and bridges, evaluating their condition. Vermont Route 16 was closed to traffic just north of East Hardwick at a Lamoille River bridge crossing pending an inspection. The state had placed illuminated warning signs at both bridge approaches with well-marked barriers. Some travelers moved barriers and vehicles continued to cross the visibly damaged bridge. By Friday, at 5:30 p.m., the road had reopened to one lane with temporary signals in place controlling traffic across the bridge’s single passable lane.
This car was pulled into a ditch by the rush of the flooding waters on Vt. Rte. 14 S. in the front of Bessette’s Mini Storage buildings in Hardwick.
In Hardwick, Jolene Shepard reported she’d been awakened at 2:30 a.m., Thursday morning, July 11, by a knock on the door. A swift-water rescue team loaded her, her daughter and their dog, into a boat and transported them to safety, where they were able to rest at the public safety building on High Street while the emergency shelter at Hazen Union School was opened. She was eventually able to move there where they were given cots, pillows and blankets. She was able to return home as the water receded, where she found damage similar to the previous year’s flood in the cellar. The first floor was spared this time.
Shepard was one of two families who were evacuated in Hardwick.
Flooding along Wolcott Street reached into the Hardwick Fire Station, the Paul Davis Restoration building, Poulin Lumber and the House of Pizza. Farther down Wolcott Street, flood water entered Walgreens and Tops Friendly Market, where there were about six inches of silty water.
Both Tops and Walgreens were closed Thursday into Friday.
Hardwick’s Buffalo Mountain Market on Mill Street remained open, providing access to food.
Walgreen’s answering machine reported Sunday morning they were closed due to the flood. The Tops phone wasn’t answered Sunday, but they opened at 10 a.m. said an employee later that day. A customer reported the store appeared to have limited stock then.
A worker at Walgreens on Tuesday indicated sheet rock would need to be replaced, a process that would likely take longer than several weeks. Signs on the door referred pharmacy customers to the nearest store at 355 North Main Street in Barre with a (802) 476-4311 telephone number.
Amid the destruction caused by flooding, stonework continues to be applied around door of the Jeudevine Library’s addition on Tuesday, July 16.
The House of Pizza was doing cleanup inside and outside on Saturday, reporting plans to reopen Monday for business as usual, which they were able to do on schedule Monday morning.
The doors at the Kingdom Fiber office on Wolcott Street were open, with fans blowing through to dry out a wet floor. No one was present, though the fiber equipment seemed to be operating and Diane Grenkow at the Jeudevine Library reported service from that provider was “Faster than ever.”
At Paul Davis Restoration on Tuesday afternoon, Patty Eldred reported water had reached the height of the electrical outlets and one 20 foot shipping container had washed away. A shipping container has been reported near the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail bridge behind Dona’s Car Store, though Eldred hadn’t heard whether it had been identified as theirs.
Flood waters surround an outbuilding on the shore of Woodbury Lake along Vt. Route 14 in the afternoon of July 11.
Dave Stratton’s sawmill on Wolcott Street had taken on water up to the office’s door handle and the generator had been flooded. He said he was working to start things up to see where he was at. He said he had some jobs to do, but wasn’t sure he’d continue and might “look for something else to do.” Despite that, he went into the yard with a customer to find two 2×6 pieces of lumber.
While the American Legion parking lot took on some water, with some even entering the downstairs of their building, it was not nearly as severe as it had been in the flood a year before.
Thunderstorms began over Greensboro in the afternoon of July 10 and continued well into the night, bringing floodwaters from Caspian Lake’s tributaries into the lake and raising its level near the top of the dam, but not overtopping it near noon on July 11. Lake levels slowly began dropping by July 12 and continued into the following week.
Three vehicles washed into the Lamoille’s eroded riverbank at Hay’s Service Station on Mill Street, where the bank was eroded by several dozen feet, with a new cove appearing in the riverbank, reaching almost to the diesel fuel pumps. A Ford F-250 plow truck owned by the service station was facing upstream on Thursday against the east bank of the river, just west of the Cottage Street bridge, which had been closed early during the flooding.
“[I’m] so thankful the town replaced the culvert by our house with a much larger one last year. Proactive infrastructure upgrades need to be a priority across the state,” wrote Alana Considine of Hardwick on Facebook. “Last year’s flood can no longer be considered a hundred year flood,” she wrote echoing the sentiments of many others.
Hardwick Town Manager Opie Upson reported the wastewater plant on Wolcott Street had been severely damaged, with raw sewage entering the Lamoille River for approximately 12 hours during the worst of the flooding. The plant took on six inches less water than last year, he said, and the lagoons were unaffected.
Work is being done to evaluate options for protecting the plant in the future, perhaps by lifting the electronics high above potential future flood waters and installing submersible pumps.
Plainfield seemed to be the worst hit town in the area.
Route 2 in Plainfield remained closed Sunday morning between Coburn Road and Route 214 due to a reported bridge abutment that has been compromised. The state 511 map showed no closures on other state routes in the area, though Route 12 from Elmore to Wrightsville also remained closed Sunday afternoon “due to lane erosion, washouts, and culvert issues at multiple sites.”
Many people offered help to others on posts to Facebook area groups. A Saturday morning post pointed Plainfield residents to fresh water where jugs could be filled up at the recreation field on the south side of the Great Brook and a newly-placed portable toilet near the entry to the parking lot. It also reported, “Across Rec. Field Road helpers from Marshfield have left bottled water and clean-out kits on the stone wall on the south side.”
Another Facebook post from the Cutler library said, “This week, the Cutler will be open outside of our normal operating hours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Sunday and Monday.
“The library is a cool, calm place where you can access computers, laptops, iPads, high-speed WiFi, and a printer. And don’t underestimate the power of a good book when going through a stressful situation.
“You may also use the library’s computers or phone to contact 211 to report flood damage.
A bridge connecting Orton Road to Stannard Mountain Road collapsed outside Greensboro Bend after July 10 flooding.
“ . . . The library is also here for those who just need a hug or someone to talk to. If you can’t access the library but need support in some way, please don’t hesitate to email or phone us during open hours. We love you and will do our best to help you in any way needed. [email protected] and (802) 454-8504”
The “Cabot Connects Town Bulletin Board” group featured a post from midday on July 13, beginning with a disclaimer that it wasn’t from the select board, saying, “most of us know that our neighbors in Plainfield sustained catastrophic damage in this week’s flooding. Entire homes were swept away, parts of Plainfield Village are buried in silt, and the damage is extensive. They need help.”
From there the post announced a July 14 morning caravan from Harry’s Hardware to Plainfield, arriving for the 10 a.m. Plainfield volunteer coordination team meeting at the opera house, where volunteers are dispatched as needed. Volunteers were asked to bring garden tools, their labor, trucks and heavy equipment.
It concluded, “. . . we all remember from last year what this kind of work looks like, hot and dirty, so dress appropriately in close-toed boots/shoes, bring gloves, a hat and lots of water to stay hydrated.
“We may live in different communities but we are all people of the Winooski River and need to help each other as we can.
The Lamoille River was close to the bottom of the Cottage Street bridge at 6:30 a.m., July 11.
Damage in Woodbury was the worst Hardwick plumber Josh Holmes said he had seen as he traveled around the area replacing damaged water heaters and assisting with other water and sewer issues. Woodbury’s Select Board Chair Diana Peduzzi reported some road issues, but nothing else of significance on Tuesday, July 16.
In Greensboro, Firefighter John Moffat reported they had received no calls through the flooding. There and elsewhere residents patiently waited for their driveways to be reopened.
Craftsbury was able to hold the Antiques & Uniques event Saturday, despite some wet ground on the Common, Town Clerk, Michelle Warren said the event was a success with only a few minor glitches to contend with.
The Plainfield People Facebook group, an active group since rain began on July 10, showed a post, “Please, please, PLEASE! Report all flood damage, no matter how trivial seeming, to Vermont 211. You can phone 211 or go to vermont211.org and select the flooding form. It only takes minutes to fill out the form as best you can. Phones are answered 24-7.
“Why do this? It’s a numbers game. There is a threshold to reach before FEMA Federal dollars become available and they are sorely needed. Even if you are taking care of the damage yourself, reporting it lets the impact of this storm be known to the “powers that be.” It can help your less fortunate neighbors get aid.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
