Vermont flood map: Crews rescue more than 100 as flooding wipes out highway and railroad - live - The Independent

Vermont flood map: Crews rescue more than 100 as flooding wipes out highway and railroad - live | The Independent

Vermont flooding wipes out highway, bridges and railroad as more rain forecast - live

The towns of Londonderry and Weston remained largely inaccessible on Wednesday

Louise Boyle,
Stuti Mishra Comments

Vermont is beginning the long and gruelling clean-up from severe flooding this week which is so catastrophic that it can be seen from space.

And it wasn’t alone: other Northeastern states were facing their own expensive recoveries from major, slow-moving storms which dumped months-worth of rain over a few days.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared it a “1-in-1,000-year weather event” caused by the climate crisis. A woman died in New York after she was swept away while trying to escape her home with her dog.

Some 117 rescues were made in Vermont as the towns of Londonderry and Weston remained largely inaccessible on Wednesday. Officials were beginning to assess how many homes had been destroyed and what the financial cost would be from damaged roads, bridges and railway.

In the state capital, Montpelier, a dam on the outskirts appeared to have stabilized after it came dangerously close to breaching. “That is one less thing we have to have on our front burner,” Montpelier Town Manager Bill Fraser said.

Public officials warned drivers to monitor closures and avoid traversing water-covered roadways. With more rainfall expected from Thursday across New England, there may be additional closures, New England Compass said.
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Numerous scattered showers and thunderstorms set to hit this evening

Vermont residents are poised for another deluge with the National Weather Service warning: “Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are expected this afternoon and evening. Some t-storms will be severe with damaging winds, large hail, and locally heavy rainfall.”

The storms are set to hit the state between 4pm and 8pm with saturated soils likely to exacerbate runoff and flooding.
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Vermont’s catastrophic flooding was visible from space

Vermont is beginning the long and gruelling clean-up from catastrophic flooding this week – the scale of which is so vast that it can be seen from space.

The Green Mountain State wasn’t alone: other Northeastern states are facing their own expensive recoveries from major, slow-moving storms which dumped months of rain on the region in a matter of days.

Louise Boyle filed this report.

Vermont’s catastrophic flooding is visible from space

Authorities warned residents to beware of potential sinkholes as flood waters recede and saturated ground settles
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US faced ‘12 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters’ in 2023, says NOAA

In 2023 so far, the US has faced “12 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters,” according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The US government’s climate and environment body said that June 2023 was record hot for some parts of the US, while other locations were roiled by severe weather and poor air quality.

So far, the average temperature for the contiguous US was 49.2 degrees F, (1.7 degrees above the 20th-century average), ranking as the 21st-warmest year based on the data of first six months.

Till 11 July, there have been 12 confirmed climate disaster events, NOAA said, with losses exceeding $1 billion each.

Chart from NOAA shows 12 confirmed climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1bn each to affect United State
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Land temperatures in Spain surpass 60C amid deadly heat

As deadly heat engulfs southern US, the temperatures across the Mediterranean are also set to break records.

The temperature of the ground in some areas of Spain has hit more than 60C during the deadly heatwave sweeping Europe, satellite recordings have shown.

It was so hot that a heat map that highlights scorching temperatures in red turned even darker – to black.

Temperature records have been broken on most of the continent, including France, Switzerland, Germany and Italy, where highs of 40C were recorded again on Wednesday.

Read more:

Land temperatures in Spain surpass record 60C in deadly heatwave

Ground so hot that fiery red areas on map turn black
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Eight tornadoes touch down in four Chicago counties

Extreme weather also threatened the Chicago area, where at least eight tornadoes touched down in four counties in northeastern Illinois.

One tornado touched down near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Wednesday evening, prompting passengers to take shelter and disrupting hundreds of flights. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

A confirmed tornado was on the ground around 7pm, according to the National Weather Service in Chicago.

“This tornado has been touching the ground intermittently so far and is moving east. There are additional circulations along the line south of O’Hare. Seek shelter if in the warned area,” it said.
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Death Valley can see 'highest temperature on Earth', expert warns

The southern parts of the US is bracing for potentially deadly heat with much of the area under an excessive heat warning.

The National Weather Service issued excessive heat advisories, watches and warnings for areas where about 100 million Americans live. The sweltering conditions are expected to worsen over the weekend and continue into next week.

Meteorologist Colin McCarthy warned on Twitter that Death Valley, one of the hottest places on the planet, can see temperatures "soar up to 131F (55C), which, if recorded by a weather station, would be the highest temperature ever reliably recorded on Earth".

The records show Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley recording a temperature of 134.1F (56.7C) in July 1913, which is considered the highest temperature recorded on Earth, however, that reading has been under question by scientists with several meteorological experts asserting that there were irregularities.
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More rains expected for Vermont and US northeast

While stifling temperatures have gripped many parts of the country, Vermont and other Northeastern states barely have had time to recover from historic flooding in recent days when the National Weather Service forecast more heavy rainfall across parts of New England in the coming days, where rivers and streams are already running high.

Jodi Kelly, left, practice manager at Stonecliff Veterinary Surgical Center, behind, and her husband, veterinarian Dan Kelly, use a canoe to remove surgical supplies from the flood-damaged centre
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Excessive heat is baking US Southwest and expected to get worse

A prolonged heat wave blanketed a swath of the US stretching from California to South Florida on Wednesday, with forecasters expecting temperatures that could shatter records in parts of the Southwest in the coming days.

The National Weather Service issued excessive heat advisories, watches and warnings for areas where about 100 million Americans live. The sweltering conditions are expected to worsen over the weekend and continue into next week.
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People return to devastated houses after water recedes

Residents in Vermont are returning home to find their houses and belongings damaged after severe flooding left the capital city Montpelier as a swirling, brown waterway.

One resident posted a video of their front yard with the entry door blocked with mud and stones and car stuck.
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City of Montpelier warns of sinkholes after flooding

Officials in the Vermont city of Montpelier warned residents to beware of potential sinkholes as flood waters recede and saturated ground settles.

“Sinkholes can develop fast and without warning. Do not walk or drive around closed roads or barricades. Please also obey traffic signals and be on the lookout for deep potholes filled with water that may damage or incapacitate your vehicle,” the city said.

A man walks down street flooded by recent rain storms in Montpelier, Vermont