Vermont has suffered "historic and catastrophic" flash flooding, its governor has said, after up to two months of rain fell in two days.

More than 100 rescues have been conducted by emergency crews in boats in the New England state since the deluge began on Sunday.

And over 100 roads across Vermont were closed on Tuesday because of the inundation.

President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency on Monday in the state.

Parts of the north-eastern US, including New York state, saw some of the most severe flooding in more than a decade in recent days.

"Make no mistake, the devastation and flooding we're experiencing across Vermont is historic and catastrophic," Governor Phil Scott told reporters on Tuesday.

He added that the deluge in some parts of the state had surpassed that seen during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, which killed six people in Vermont.

Rescue crews have been reinforced by teams from North Carolina, Michigan and Connecticut.

Many of the rescues have taken place in the towns of Londonderry, Weston, Bridgewater, Andover, Ludlow and Middlesex.

An emergency order was lifted on Tuesday in Vermont's capital, Montpelier, even as some streets remained underwater after the Winooski River burst its banks.

People in canoes navigated the picturesque downtown district, where floodwaters lapped at the windows of businesses and submerged vehicles.

Officials said the Wrightsville Dam upstream from the Vermont state capital and two other dams in the state that had been nearing capacity were no longer expected to overflow.

"Water will still be released from the dams, but in smaller amounts than previously anticipated," a Facebook post from the US Army Corps of Engineers said.

"Many river levels have peaked and are beginning to recede."

Governor Scott, however, urged caution over the coming days.

"We are not out of the woods," he said. "This is nowhere near over."

Kelly Tackett, who owns the Minikin children's store in Montpelier, was unable to get through the floodwaters to check on her deluged business.

But upon seeing pictures of the ruined premises taken by a photojournalist she said she was in tears and feared her store may not recover.

"This was my lifelong dream shop," she told the Burlington Free Press.

The National Weather Service forecasts more rain for Thursday and Friday in Vermont, but no more torrential downpours.

Flood watches remain in effect for parts of New York, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Connecticut.

In New York state on Sunday, a woman named by authorities as Pamela Nugent, 43, died in Orange County after she was swept away while trying to flee her home with her dog.

Homes, businesses and roads were significantly damaged in the county.

Many factors contribute to flooding, but a warming atmosphere caused by climate change makes extreme rainfall more likely.

The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.

Source:
courtesy of BBC NEWS

by BBC NEWS

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