HARDWICK – Weather forecasts and a National Weather Service warning last week raised concern across the region in areas affected by flooding on July 10 in both 2023 and 2024. Hardwick had heightened awareness as the anniversary approached, with media and politicians bringing awareness to the anniversary. Town Manager David ‘Opie’ Upson said the town was on stand-by and he attended three Vermont Emergency Management briefings during the day Thursday, but river levels were low through Hardwick and he said town leaders were not overly concerned.
through which the water of Buck Lake Brook will flow.
Front row, (from left) are Lucinda Rochester, Sandy Reeks, Kathy Volk and Carolyn Stewart; standing are Stephanie Appleton, Joanne Campisi, Ruth Gaillard, Patti Garbeck, Susan Alexander, Robin Gouin, Cacky Peltz, Carol Ray and Lisa Flood.
photo by
Michael Malick
The State’s emergency management status was elevated, with only a duty watch and no extra staffing. Late in the day the flood watch was extended to 10 p.m., but strong thunderstorms that affected nearby areas in Greensboro did not materialize in Hardwick and there was nothing nearby to equal the rainfall that fell to the northeast of Hardwick, with over 5” in West Burke and 3.5” in East Haven.
Preparation for emergencies of all kinds has been strengthened in Hardwick and other area towns, with area residents creating support organizations and gathering supplies to assist as needs arise. Hardwick Area Neighbor-to-Neighbor is among them and had the opportunity to test its preparedness by teaming with Medical Reserve Corps. member Karl Stein in Greensboro and volunteers to set up a cooling facility at the Highland Center for the Arts during days with temperatures approaching 100 degrees several weeks ago. Stein said they were prepared for as many as 500 people to sleep at the facility if the power failed. In the end only several dozen people took advantage of the air-conductioned well-equipped facility, even being offered an assortment of foods left over from recent events there.
Other preparations are not so obvious. White there are no automated river and stream level monitors in the area, Upson said the town’s Zoning and Floodplain Administrator Kristen Leahy now works with five stream watchers, residents throughout the area who live nearby to rivers and streams, monitoring and reporting on them as happened last week. Those real-time reports from experienced observers helped town staff know the rivers were low.
Upson said, “We always have our finger over the red button, but never took the cover off” during this event.
Hardwick Police Chief Michale Henry said, “There were no issues here, everything was good.”
While other towns have borrowed to deal with repairs needed after flooding the past two years, Hardwick has had fund balances available, allowing it to borrow, mostly from water and sewer funds, while it waits for federal and state reimbursement for necessary emergency and less critical repair work. As reimbursement has come in, those funds have been repaid, makin themg available for their intended purpose, or future emergencies.
On the second anniversary of the 2023 floods, the town continues to manage projects created to repair past flood damage and mitigate it in the future. A handful of bridges are slated for future work, including replacement of the temporary bridge at the west and of Hardwick Farms Road and permanent replacement of the destroyed bridge across East Main Street near Greensboro Bend, from Route 14 to Toussant Hill and Stannard Roads
Five areas of town have received the brunt of the recent past flooding and remain the focus of current and future work. Areas impacted by the Lamoille River area in downtown Hardwick, the Wolcott Street commercial district, and East Hardwick. Cooper Brook affects the area near Vt. Rte 14 south of town, and the Granite Street Historic District. A municipal planning grant in that last area has Leahy working with them to develop neighborhood responses to flooding. A survey is currently being circulated to gather information from residents in that area. Options for relocating the fire station, which has been regularly flooded in that area, are being studied.
In downtown Hardwick work on the retaining wall between the Village Restaurant and The Civic Standard is expected to begin soon. It is hoped that a study of the Lamoille River corridor through the downtown can be funded following a federal cutback this spring that cancelled the opportunity for a possible grant. A project for that area has been very roughly estimated to cost $7 million
In the Wolcott Street commercial district, upgrades to the waste water treatment plant are being looked into to mitigate the impact of future floods, The impact of Jackson Dam on area flooding is being studied and a larger scale flood proofing concept is being looked into.
Along Cooper Brook several properties may be elevated.
Ten properties flooded in each of the last two years’ flooding have either been acquired, or are in the process of being acquired. Those 20 flooded properties will be, or have been, demolished and will be reclaimed to become green space, never to be built on again under agreements tied to their purchase.
Housing in those properties, which included the Inn by the River’s 12 rooms plus the owners residence will be gone forever, creating a significant gap in Hardwick’s housing stock.
A lengthy list of other work already done or underway includes acceptance of the Hardwick Emergency Management Plan that is now being updated in real time, a review emergency action plans for the Hardwick Electric Department’s many dams, volunteer mobilization for supply and support during emergencies working with Hardwick Area Neighbor to Neighbor, NEKO and KURRVE.
While the regular work of town staff continues as usual, additional work due to the flooding has added to the workload and the select board is now looking to hire a Director of Public Works to take on some of that additional burden.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
