The Vermont Press is “flooded” with stories about the heavy rain and damage to livelihoods and lives as a result. Residents are sharing stories spun by the media with the typical bias, ignorance, and incomplete research we’ve come to expect, especially on weather events.
Eric Worrall, at Watts Up With That, shares a tale of woe and hardship from The Atlantic, with all the necessary hyperbole (if you’re interested), and then brings receipts to demonstrate the media’s deceit.
Megan spins a great narrative but ignores the reality that Vermont, like other landlocked mountainous regions of the world, is prone to severe flooding.
The following is from Worst Flood Events in Vermont’s History.
- The Great Vermont Flood of 1927, Nov. 3-4, 1927 On November 3 and 4, 1927, heavy rains on frozen ground … Eighty-four people were killed …
- Rainfall, Sept. 21, 1938 … the tempest that devastated Vermont in 1938 is the only storm in the state’s history to arrive as a hurricane. …
- Rainfall, July 6, 1973, A combination of a west-moving frontal system and a moist, southeasterly flow from the Atlantic Ocean resulted in heavy rainfall in some parts of Vermont that was not seen since 1927. …
- Remnants of Hurricane Belle, Aug. 9-10, 1976 In 1976, Long Island was struck by a Category 1 hurricane, which skirted the Vermont/New Hampshire border. …
- Spring storms, April 4-6, 1987 On April 4 to 6, 1987, snowmelt and rainfall caused reservoirs in the Winooski River basin at East Barre, Wrightsville, and Waterbury to spill over for the first time in their history…
- Ice Jam, March 11, 1992, The flooding on March 11, 1992, was caused by a massive ice jam on the Winooski River. Blocking the flow and raising the river into the city, downtown Montpelier was inundated to a depth of 2-5 feet within less than an hour. …
- Rainfall, June 27-July 13, 1998 … On June 27, 1998, heavy rainfall of 3-6 inches fell in Vermont, causing flash flooding along the Connecticut River basins in central Vermont. …
- Tropical Storm Floyd, Sept. 16-21, 1999 … Vermont endured major flooding and damage from heavy rain and strong winds from September 16 to 21, 1999, when Hurricane Floyd struck the East Coast …
- Severe storms, April 15-21, 2007 … Severe storms caused heavy rain, snow, and high winds in Vermont on April 15-21, 2007, leading to flooding in the region due to combined rain and snowmelt. Snowfall of 4 to 7 …
- Rainfall flash flood, July 9-11, 2007 … From July 9 to July 11, 2007, a major storm system swept through Orange and Windsor Counties, resulting in high winds, lightning, hail, and heavy rains. …
- Rainfall flash flood, June 14, 2008 … Localized heavy rainfall up to 7 inches occurred in Ripton, which is located in Addison County, and 3-5 inches in Rutland. …
- Rainfall, July 24- Aug 12, 2008 … Widespread rainfall of 1-2 inches occurred during the afternoon and evening of July 24, with localized amounts that exceeded 3 inches …
- Snowmelt & rainfall, April, May, 2011 2011 was an especially bad year for flooding in Vermont. Four disaster declarations were issued over the course of the year, all attributed to flooding.
- Tropical Storm Irene, Aug. 28-Sept. 2, 2011 … As of the beginning of the 2023 storm season, Tropical Storm Irene was by far the most devastating weather event in Vermont’s history …
- Memorial Day Storms, May 22-26, 2013 … Flash flooding on Memorial Day Weekend in 2013 caused approximately $1.5 million in damage across Chittenden, Lamoille, and Essex Counties. …
- July 9-11, 2023 … A storm brought nearly 6 inches of rain to Vermont Monday, July 10. …
I’m guessing Vermont is full of houses which probably should never have been built due to flood risk. FEMA bought out 90 homes in Vermont in the wake of the 2011 floods and demolished them, but this is likely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to poorly sited housing developments. Perhaps the apparent break between severe flood events from 1938 – 1973 lulled politicians and planning officials into a false sense of security.
In other words, as usual, someone is distorting the events and history to advance a current political priority. But if you do even a little bit of research, the approved narrative doesn’t hold water.
PS. No one is saying the flooding did not result in real tragedy or loss of property or lives. We are talking about activist media and career politicians standing on that fear and misery to advance a highly-questionable political agenda that will deny people their livelihoods, means, mobility, and, increasingly their freedom.
HT | WUWT
