HURRICANE IRENE 2011

1. HURRICANE IRENE 2011 Flood waters leave Vermont facing its greatest natural disaster in decades

2. On August 28, Hurricane Irene dumped enough water on Vermont to demolish the historic landmarks Vermont is known for. It left whole communities stranded and isolated like islands with no way in or out, forcing people to evacuate from their homes. The tropical storm was one of the greatest devastations Vermont has seen in decades. Irene left Vermont more or less underwater.

3. “I love Vermont because of her hills and valleys, her scenery and invigorating climate, but most of all because of her indomitable people. They are a race of pioneers that have almost beggared themselves to serve others.” Calvin Coolidge, after the flood of 1927

5. The damage from the storm has devastated Vermont. In small towns, with substantial damage repairs will cost up to 1 million dollars; a sum of money that is hard to come by. Vermonters ask you for help to bring back our beautiful Green Mountain state.

6. Barre, VT

7. Berlin, VT

8. Bethel, VT

13. Brandon, VT

15. This building, The Briggs Carriage and Co., has survived the floods of ‘37 and ‘38 but it seems that this flood has forced it to it’s knees.

19. To the right of the road is the Neshobe Golf course, which is now gone.

20. Just a few years ago, Brandon built a new park here with commemorative bricks. To the left stands an arch with a small landing over-looking waterfalls that run through the town. The flooding from this river left the arch an island in the midst of all damage.

21. These buildings are the Brandon House of Pizza (left) and the Watershed Tavern. The river runs underneath these buildings, under the road to the park. You can see the water has risen enough to rush through the Watershed building. Notice where the pizza building should stand.

22. As flood waters rose, the Pizza building was pushed off its foundation so it lies flush with the brick building, a Barber shop.

30. Brattleboro, VT

31. Bridgewater, VT This house was swept off its foundation into the river and is now stuck at the bridge. This type of tragedy inevitably resulted in more flooding as the water had to go around the house.

32. Long Trail Brewery

33. Bristol, VT

35. Castleton, VT Castleton State College Athletic Field

36. Castleton State College

37. Castleton State College parking lot

38. Duxbury

39. This is Killington Base Lodge at the Killington Ski Resort demolished by flood waters. Killington, VT

40. Londonderry, VT

41. Many cemeteries suffered from flood damages. Some tombs were unburied. Proctor, VT

42. Randolph, VT Randolph Village Auto Sales

43. Richmond, VT

44. Rochester, VT For several days Rochester was cut off from the world. No one had heard anything from families or friends about their safety. Little did they know, Rochester had no way of communicating because power lines were out, they had no access to internet and no cell phones….

45. The following is a blog post from one of the flood victims who managed to find internet. An entire section of houses in the middle of my town have collapsed.Many more have been completely destroyed. Families are evacuating and being forced by rising waters to climb to the second floors of their homes. My family is already on the third and final floor of their house. Vehicles are gone. Buildings, structures, roads… all gone. Cars and houses are floating down the rivers of Vermont. Bodies are coming up out of the cemeteries. People are in need of medical attention. There is no power. No cell phone service. All phone lines are down, so if you have a cord land line phone, it’s become of no use. Internet is also out. Killington Ski resort base lodge collapsed, 100 foot craters in the roads leaving major highways obliterated.The main water line has been exposed, meaning that the likelihood of the water being contaminated is rising higher and higher. There is no way out. And there is no way in.

47. Rutland, VT

48. In many towns, like Rutland, citizens were forced to evacuate their homes.

50. Taftsville, VT