HARDWICK – Hardwick ends 2025 still engaged in recovery, preparedness and adaptation work that does not pause between emergencies.
While flooding has been the most visible and damaging hazard in recent years, the town’s response has necessarily extended beyond flood events alone. As a service, employment and community hub for the surrounding region, Hardwick’s emergency resilience work now encompasses infrastructure stability, housing safety, emergency response capacity, land-use decisions and long-term planning for a changing climate. For those working in floodplain and emergency management, the work continues year-round, regardless of whether the river is within its banks.
Since 2023, Hardwick has experienced three federally declared disasters and several additional damaging storms affecting not only the village and rural roads, but the broader river systems and travel corridors that connect neighboring communities. More than 100 structures across neighborhoods and rural roads were impacted, many of them repeatedly.
Local businesses and farms faced closures, cleanups and operational disruptions.
Six bridges and culverts were identified for major repair or redesign, and at least five areas of town experienced repeat flood damage, underscoring the need for coordinated, long-term solutions that extend beyond municipal boundaries.
In response, the town has focused on moving recovery forward through long-term solutions rather than short-term fixes.
Since the 2023 flooding, Hardwick secured more than $5 million in targeted recovery and reimbursement funding, allowing critical projects to advance without relying on local tax dollars.
Nine properties are progressing through the voluntary flood buyout program, with 11 structures demolished or scheduled for demolition and mitigation work to follow.
In addition, funding has been secured to floodproof historic and hard-to-elevate structures, reducing future risk while preserving the town’s historic building stock.
Together, these efforts create opportunities for floodplain restoration and safer land use that benefit downstream communities as well.
At the same time, the town is planning well beyond individual sites.
Five major engineering and feasibility efforts are underway, including work on Jackson Dam, wastewater facility relocation, fire station relocation, bank stabilization and bridge upgrades.
Long-term recovery planning is active in four high-impact areas: the Granite Street Historic District, Wolcott Street Commercial Area, Downtown Hardwick and East Hardwick. These efforts are guided by technical analysis, on-the-ground conditions and community input, with coordination among regional partners and agencies.
Recovery in Hardwick has also been shaped by people, not just projects.
Volunteers supported cleanups, supply delivery and outreach throughout the recovery period, often crossing town and county lines to help one another.
Community dinners, farmers markets and public forums served as places to share information, gather feedback and strengthen connections.
Local schools and public facilities were assessed for emergency sheltering and readiness, and a dedicated Emergency Supply and Support Center is now established and ready when needed.
Together, these efforts reflect a shared understanding that recovery is not linear. Emergency response leads to recovery. Recovery reveals housing, infrastructure and preparedness gaps. Each solution strengthens the ability of the region to respond to the next emergency, whatever form it takes.
Looking ahead, Hardwick is continuing to work with watershed partners to improve natural resilience and implement floodplain restoration projects beginning in 2025.
More than 18 local, regional, state, and federal departments and partner agencies continue to collaborate on a shared recovery path that recognizes both the challenges and strengths of rural communities across the region. This coordinated effort brings together municipal staff, regional partners, state agencies and federal programs to align recovery, mitigation and long-term resilience work rather than addressing projects in isolation.
The work is ongoing. Costs are rising. But through collaboration, Hardwick and its neighboring communities continue to build systems that are safer, stronger and better prepared.
Recovery is a shared effort, and the work of neighbors, volunteers and partners continues to shape what comes next.
Residents throughout the area can stay informed and get involved by visiting hardwickvt.gov and signing up for VT-Alert at vem.vermont.gov/vtalert. For more information, contact the Town of Hardwick Resilience and Adaptation Coordinator’s Office at zoning.administrator@hardwickvt.gov or (802) 472-1686.
Kristen Leahy is the zoning and floodplain administrator and the resilience and adaptation coordinator for the Town of Hardwick.
