On Thursday, Gov. Phil Scott (R-VT) spoke about Vermont’s response to flooding in the state.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Thanks for being here for an update on last night's flooding.
00:04Let me start by saying that I know the damage done in many of the very same communities
00:10were hardest hit on the very same day as last year.
00:14It's devastating.
00:16And my heart goes out to all those families, business owners, and community members alike.
00:22Please know my team, first responders, and local leaders
00:26are working around the clock to help ensure public safety
00:30and we'll act as quickly as possible in recovery.
00:34It's important to note that our response is ongoing,
00:38so we're getting more information and details every minute,
00:42and we'll keep the public updated as we do.
00:46The team will go into detail shortly, but as many of you know,
00:50last night's spring flood across several counties resulted in power outages,
00:54several closed roads and bridges, many evacuations due to rushing water,
01:00damage to homes and property, and regrettably, the loss of one life at this point.
01:06My condolences go out to that family and members of that community.
01:12Yesterday, I signed an amendment to our existing state of emergency,
01:17in place due to last year's floods,
01:20to help make sure we're able to access and move state resources.
01:24As we reported, we had the SEOC partially activated overnight,
01:29and swift water teams staged across the state.
01:33I want to thank those teams and all emergency responders
01:37who were very, very busy last night,
01:40helping in rescues and protecting Vermonters and visitors alike.
01:44Commissioner Morrison will talk more about safety in a moment,
01:48but I encourage everyone to follow her guidance.
01:52There are still safety risks out there, even as the rivers subside.
01:57It's not lost on any of us the irony of the flood
02:03falling on the one-year anniversary to the day when many towns were hit last year.
02:09I know that only adds to the emotion many are feeling this morning,
02:15even those who were not impacted that time around.
02:19But we're ready.
02:21Our response and tools are only stronger as a result of last year,
02:25and we will get through this.
02:28The fact is, we're Vermont Strong for a reason,
02:31and that means those impacted will have many, many all across the state standing with them.
02:38I want to thank you, and I'll now turn it over to Commissioner Morrison.
02:43I see Mayor Lozano is here.
02:49Thank you, Governor.
02:51Good morning. My name is Jennifer Morrison.
02:54I'm the Commissioner of Public Safety.
02:57Last night was a difficult and dangerous time in the northern two-thirds of the state,
03:01and we're working hard to understand the total impact.
03:05Our swift water teams made dozens of rescues overnight
03:08and facilitated numerous evacuations.
03:11We are still in active response mode
03:14and have multiple rescues ongoing in the Lindenville area.
03:19We also have extensive work to do in secondary searches
03:23in the many communities that were the hardest hit.
03:26The work of our teams, as I said, is continuing.
03:29The hardest-hit areas overnight, some of, I should say, because I realize there are many,
03:34some of the hardest-hit areas overnight were Moortown, Plainfield, Lindenville,
03:39Barrie, Richmond, Bolton, and Williamstown.
03:43We will undoubtedly add more to this list as damage reports are still coming in.
03:48The primary hazard overnight was flash flooding, and that has mostly resolved.
03:54Subsequently, there was some main stem river flooding.
03:58Generally speaking, rivers have crested, and river flooding should wind down throughout the day.
04:07This is not true of the following locations.
04:11The Winooski River downstream from Waterbury through to Lake Champlain.
04:17This portion of the Winooski River will likely not crest until this evening,
04:22and it should fall below flood stage sometime on Friday.
04:27Likewise, the Pesumcic River in Caledonia County has not crested.
04:34We expect it to crest this afternoon and fall below flood stage this evening.
04:40And the Lamoille River near Johnson and Jeffersonville.
04:44The river is close to cresting near Johnson,
04:47and that will push high levels of water toward Jeffersonville shortly after.
04:53We are watching this area as we speak.
04:57Regardless of river levels, our waterways are not safe right now.
05:02Currents are fast, and there is a tremendous amount of flood debris in the water.
05:07Folks really need to stay off of our rivers for the time being.
05:11The weather is going to get hot and humid in the next few days,
05:15and it may be tempting to cool off in a river or a stream, but please don't.
05:19Also, be mindful of heat-related illnesses.
05:23As you clean up or help your neighbors, stay hydrated and take frequent breaks.
05:30As the governor mentioned, as of this morning at 9 a.m.,
05:33we have received one report of a weather-related fatality.
05:37This has not been officially confirmed, but it is believed to be a male from Pechum.
05:44As of 9 a.m., there are below 2,500 power outages
05:49thanks to the hard work and dedication of our public utility partners.
05:53We expect that number to drop throughout the day.
05:58We need to remain vigilant in the days to come,
06:01as many disaster-related deaths occur after the acute phase and during cleanup and recovery.
06:08Keep your guard up and do not take chances.
06:11Those returning to their flooded homes should take precautions when entering.
06:16Do not turn on your circuit breaker or use any power source
06:20until you have had your system checked by a licensed electrician.
06:25For those with damaged property, and this includes everything,
06:29structures, vehicles, driveways, culverts, and more,
06:34please report your damages to 211
06:37as we are collecting data for a possible federal disaster declaration.
06:43We need your information in order to paint an accurate picture
06:47of the extent of damage across the state.
06:50Homeowners should also contact their insurance company.
06:54I want to reemphasize the importance of reporting your damage to 2-1-1
06:59by dialing 2-1-1 or preferably by visiting
07:03Vermont, spelled out V-E-R-M-O-N-T, 211.org.
07:10Even if you plan to fix your damage or you don't perceive it as a big deal,
07:15your damage is part of a bigger picture that can help us reach
07:19important thresholds that trigger federal assistance.
07:23Please help out your neighbors and your community
07:26by reporting all damage from yesterday's flash floods and today's river flooding.
07:32Also, if you are displaced from your home and need shelter, call 2-1-1.
07:38Currently, the Berry Auditorium shelter is open
07:41and we can scale up more shelters if there is a need for them.
07:45I'll be taking questions later, but for now, I will turn things over to Secretary Flynn.
07:54Thank you, Commissioner Morrison.
07:56Good morning.
07:58From the agency of transportation perspective, we currently have 54 state roads closed.
08:06We also have six bridges that are, I'm going to use the word, impinged.
08:13We believe three are destroyed or severely impacted,
08:18and we're still assessing the other three.
08:20There will be more information today.
08:22I'll go through the list of where all these are located.
08:25We have rail damage, significant rail damage in the Middlesex area
08:31on the New England Central Line, which is the Vermonter route, the Amtrak Vermonter route.
08:37We also have rail damage in Berry, Barnett, Osumsik, Orleans, and Coventry.
08:45At this point, the rail trail, the LVRT, began to be inspected at 5.30 a.m.,
08:52and I have not received any reports thus far of damage yet.
08:57Aviation is reporting no issues either.
09:01As far as public transit, all routes are open except for stops located in inaccessible areas.
09:08Green Mountain Transit canceled service until noon today.
09:13The US-2 computer is canceled in Montpelier region until at least noon today.
09:20The remaining operators across the state are open as scheduled.
09:25The bridges that I mentioned are on Route 5 in Barnett, Route 114 in Norton,
09:33Route 105 in Charleston, Route 100B in Moorpound,
09:39Route 116 in Hinesburg, and Route 17 in Starksboro.
09:47The roads are as follows, and again this is a quick list.
09:53US-5 in Lindenville, Vermont-102 in Hill Hall,
10:00Vermont-232 in Groton, Vermont-102 in Maidstone,
10:07US-5 in St. Johnsbury, a second location on US-5 in St. Johnsbury,
10:15Vermont-17 in Bristol, Vermont-117 in Jericho,
10:23a second location on Vermont-17 in Fayston,
10:27Vermont-110 in Berry, from 302 to Old 302 up by the roundabout,
10:34Vermont-12 in Montpelier, US-5 in Lindenville,
10:40Vermont-122 in Linden, US-302 in Eastberry,
10:48Vermont-128 in Essex, Vermont-17 in West Addison,
10:55Vermont-116 in Hinesburg, Vermont-14 in Woodbury,
11:02Vermont-58 in Brownington, Vermont-302 in Eastberry,
11:09US-2 in Plainfield, Vermont-114 in Lindenville,
11:16Vermont-2 in Marshfield, Groton at the intersection of Route 22,
11:24Vermont-14 and Vermont-15 in Hardwick, by the bridge, by Memorial Valley 4,
11:31Vermont-122 in Sheffield, Vermont-114 in Norton,
11:37US-2 in Middlesex, Vermont-114 in Newark,
11:43Vermont-141 in Canaan, US-2 in Plainfield, US-2 in Marshfield,
11:50Vermont-5 in Linden, Vermont-102 in Bloomfield,
11:55Vermont-12 from Elmore to Wrightsville, US-2 and 100 in Waterbury,
12:02Vermont-15, Morrisville to Wolcott, 108 in Stowe by the top notch,
12:09100 in South Duxbury, US-302 in Topsham,
12:15Vermont-100 in Duxbury, Vermont-100B in Moortown,
12:20a second location of 100B in Moortown,
12:24Vermont-118 in St. Johnsbury, US-2 in Richmond, by the Richmond-Moulton,
12:30US-5 in Barnet, US-2 in St. Johnsbury,
12:35Vermont-16 in East Hardwick, US-5 in Kossumsik Village,
12:41Vermont-14 in Hardwick, Vermont-100B in another location,
12:46it's a third location in Moortown,
12:49Vermont-14 here near the Hope Cemetery in Ferris City,
12:53Vermont-62, Vermont-14 in Williamstown,
12:58and that concludes the list of state roads.
13:00Again, I want to emphasize we are not tone deaf to what's happened on local roads,
13:05but we don't have that information at this moment. Thank you.
13:08What was the total number of that, Joe, again?
13:10Fifty-four.
13:11Fifty-four roads.
13:12Correct, in six bridges.
13:13Thank you.
13:14And at this time, I'll turn it over to the Swiftwater team leader, Mike Kinn.
13:17Thank you.
13:21Thank you, Secretary Flynn.
13:23I'm just going to briefly go over a quick synopsis of what Commissioner Morrison has given you.
13:30Our Swiftwater team is activated early yesterday morning.
13:34Thirteen teams made up of Vermont Swiftwater teams,
13:40one team from Connecticut, and later, earlier today,
13:45we were joined by another team from New Hampshire.
13:48All thirteen of those teams worked overnight last night,
13:52and they're still working today.
13:54We do have a couple other relief crews that were brought in this morning.
13:58None of those teams have been asleep since yesterday morning,
14:02and, like I said, they continue to work as we speak.
14:05Our rescues are 118.
14:08Those are all pro-face Swiftwater rescues.
14:11Fifteen pets, and tragically, as the governor reported, one fatality.
14:20Going forward, we've requested some additional outside resources to assist us.
14:26The Vermont Army National Guard is assisting us with gathering a couple helicopter assets
14:33for some secondary searches in some of the areas that were part hit,
14:37that Commissioner Morrison described.
14:39And our search and rescue efforts are continuing, as she indicated,
14:44in the Lindenville area where the Potomac River is yet to press.
14:48And I can answer questions later, but I'll turn it over to Commissioner Haas right now.
14:52Thank you.
14:57Hi, good morning.
14:59Commissioner Emily Haas for the Department of Mental Health.
15:02Thank you, everyone, for joining us here today,
15:06and thank you first and foremost to Vermont's first responders
15:10and local officials for your immediate and swift response
15:14to protect the safety and well-being of fellow Vermonters.
15:18As we mark the one-year anniversary since the historic flooding that hit Vermont last year,
15:25many of us are facing tough times once more.
15:29The experience of living through another flood on the anniversary of last year's disaster
15:36can be deeply de-traumatizing.
15:39It is natural for feelings of anxiety, fear, and helplessness to resurface.
15:46The sights, sounds, and even the anticipation of flooding
15:52can trigger memories and emotions tied to past trauma,
15:57making it imperative for us to come together as a community to support one another.
16:04In times of disaster, the strength and resilience of our community becomes evident.
16:09We encourage everyone to check in with your neighbors, friends, and family.
16:16Simple acts of kindness and connection can make a significant difference.
16:23A few things to keep in mind.
16:25Stay informed, but limit exposure.
16:29While it's important to stay informed, constant exposure to news coverage can increase stress.
16:35Take breaks from media to protect your mental health.
16:39When you do tune in, rely on trusted official sources for accurate information.
16:45Stay in touch with family and friends.
16:48Keep in regular contact with loved ones and neighbors
16:52to share information and check on each other's safety.
16:57Acknowledge your feelings.
16:59It's okay to feel upset, anxious, or overwhelmed, or all of those at the same time.
17:05Recognizing and accepting your emotions is the first step towards healing.
17:10And also pay attention to your physical needs.
17:13Try to maintain a routine, if possible.
17:16Prioritize your self-care by resting, moving your body, and staying hydrated.
17:23Engage in calming practices like deep breathing and creative activities
17:29throughout all stages of disaster response, not just during the initial crisis.
17:37I'd like to remind folks of a few resources that we do have available.
17:42We continue to offer Starting Over Strong Vermont,
17:47which helps individuals and community recover from natural and human-caused disasters
17:52through community outreach and access to mental health services.
17:56You can access that by calling Vermont 211
18:01to be connected to the outreach workers and resources in your particular area.
18:06We continue to operate the 988 National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
18:12Call or text 988 for immediate support from trained crisis counselors
18:17who can offer emotional support and connect you with local resources.
18:22Anyone can call 988 who needs support.
18:27Additionally, we offer a mobile crisis service for individuals.
18:32Our mobile crisis teams are on standby to provide in-person support and crisis intervention,
18:38and they can be reached through dialing 988.
18:43Additionally, as Commissioner Morrison mentioned earlier,
18:48the United Way's Vermont 211 network is a place where you can not only report your damage,
18:56but also connect with resources statewide.
19:00There are local organizations, businesses, and government entities
19:06to provide resources, which include mental health care, health care, and other community services.
19:13In addition to those, we have the Federal Disaster Hotline,
19:19and that is also free, and that can be reached at 1-800-985-5990.
19:31I'll now turn it over to Commissioner Jason Batchelder.
19:41Good morning, everyone. My name is Jason Batchelder.
19:45I'm the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation.
19:48I'm here representing Secretary Julie Moore of the Agency of Natural Resources.
19:52The Secretary sends her regards. She is on a plane heading home.
19:56Today I'm going to provide you information and updates on dam monitoring,
20:00parks and recreation, water and wastewater concerns,
20:04flood-related spills, river corridors, and landslides.
20:08Before I get into details, I'd like to echo what Commissioner Morrison had said,
20:14and Mr. Cannon, please avoid floodwaters that may be filled with pollutants and hazards.
20:23Follow advisories from your local emergency managers and town officials
20:28for local and wastewater system advisories.
20:33Contact our spill response team for hazardous spills if you suspect oil or other contaminants
20:38in the water when you're pumping at your basements.
20:41Report any landslides impacting structures or property.
20:46Check closures before you head into a state park or state land camp or hike.
20:52There are significant state land closures at this point.
20:56And most importantly, please stay safe.
21:00Note that this event is still developing and reports from the field are still being collected.
21:05Our agency will evolve our responses as new needs emerge.
21:10We are ready to support Vermonters in this job.
21:15For dams, our first report is about our Winooski flood control dams.
21:20Members of the dam safety team monitored those dams,
21:23sleeping at Waterbury and monitoring others through the night,
21:27and will continue their efforts this week.
21:30The flood control dams on the Winooski are performing phenomenally,
21:34and there is plenty of capacity in Waterbury, Wrightsville, and East Perry reservoirs.
21:40I do have numbers to follow up if anyone wishes to hear them about capacity,
21:45but we have significant capacity.
21:48We do know that one low-hazard dam experienced a breach last night at Harvey's Lake in Barnett.
21:55This is a low-hazard dam, and inundation mapping DEC has at hand
22:00suggests no significant impact to property and no particularly large impacts to roads.
22:06What residents will see because of the way the water cut the earth
22:10is they will see a drop in the lake levels as waters do recede.
22:16To date, there are no reported issues at our hydroelectric dams
22:19from Green Mountain Power and Morrisville Water & Light.
22:24Again, our team will continue to monitor dams around the state
22:27and work with fellow dam owners and regulators.
22:31On to drinking water.
22:33Our team is actively reaching out to public water supplies in areas with reported damage.
22:38Generally, no issues have been reported.
22:41I do have an addendum that I just received that I'd like to read.
22:45Currently, there is one do-not-drink notice in Lindenville
22:48and four boil water notices in Barnett, Plainfield, St. John, Barrie, and Barrie City.
22:55The Barrie City update, the boil water notice is precautionary.
23:00There is no known damage to the water system infrastructure
23:04or the treatment plant and distribution facilities.
23:07The city has begun sampling to lift the boil water notice as soon as possible
23:11and anticipates lifting it by tomorrow or Friday as sampling indicates water is safe.
23:17They have indicated they are requesting seven days of alternate water supply
23:23for a population of 10,000,
23:26seven days of alternate water for that same segment of the population.
23:32Bottled water is preferred at the audit for location,
23:35but this should be confirmed through the SELC.
23:39On to wastewater.
23:42Several wastewater treatment plants experienced exceedingly high flows
23:45through their systems, as you can imagine.
23:47Information is still coming in.
23:50Six authorized combined sewer overflows, or CSOs, were reported.
23:54Rutland, St. Johnsbury, Montpelier, St. Albans, Burlington, and Middlebury.
24:01We're aware that the Linden wastewater treatment facility was evacuated to high water.
24:08On to parks.
24:10In the coming days, our focus will be on health and safety for campers and park staff.
24:15We will be assessing damage and communicating to people with reservations this weekend.
24:20We can report that campers at Stillwater and Rickervon State Parks in Broughton
24:24were relocated to high ground to avoid floodwaters.
24:27We are encouraging park visitors and hikers to check the park's website for the status of park closures
24:34and check Trailfinder on our website for trail closures.
24:42Landslides.
24:43Our geology team has not received any reports as of 8.30 this morning.
24:49This significant amount of water will undoubtedly lead to some action in that arena.
24:56Waste management.
24:57Our waste management division continues to monitor the situation and is prepared to offer support as needed.
25:03Please report spills of oil, fuel, or other hazardous material as a result of flooding.
25:09If you are experiencing these issues, please call 802-828-1138
25:17during the day business hours and 800-641-5005 after business hours.
25:25The state has contractors available to assist homeowners who have heating oil releases
25:30or see a sheen on floodwaters in their home.
25:35And rivers.
25:36According to our rivers program, it is still very early in our assessment and are waiting for local liaison reporting,
25:43which will help craft a better picture.
25:45If you have questions about managing your river corridor near your property or on it,
25:49please contact the DEC River Engineer before you begin any work.
25:58Now I'm going to turn it back over to the Governor.
26:00Thank you.
26:05Thank you, Commissioner.
26:12We'll now open it up for questions.
26:15I was wondering if Mayor Lozano was here, if we could kind of get a status update
26:18on what Barrie is looking like at this point this morning.
26:22Certainly.
26:23Well, just to recap and compare this event to 23, water rose very, very quickly just in terms of the duration.
26:33The water came up very quickly in the course of maybe an hour and a half.
26:38By 7.30, the Stephen branch had breached its banks.
26:42We had stood up our emergency operations center.
26:47The next two hours were pretty much spent in observation at approximately 9.30.
26:51And I apologize.
26:52I should have said before I even started, thank you.
26:55Thank you to the Governor.
26:56Thank you to Secretary Flynn, who was kind enough to meet me at about 1 o'clock this morning
27:02and back to City Hall.
27:03The Governor was in contact with us well after midnight.
27:07So thank you to everyone.
27:08The Soupwater team, thank you very much for what you did for us.
27:13It's tough.
27:14It's tough to watch folks in your community suffer and go through this again.
27:20But as I stand here a bit discouraged, I'm also very proud.
27:26By 5 o'clock this morning, our crews were out cleaning up the mud, cleaning up the debris.
27:32By 8 o'clock this morning, we had stations throughout the city making sure people had fresh drinking water.
27:37There is a boil water notice in effect.
27:40By 10 o'clock, we were deploying mental health professionals to assist neighbors who might be experiencing trauma.
27:50And, you know, as I stand here today, right now, I'm sure that everyone is hard at work.
27:55You know, we are getting this done.
27:57And we couldn't have done it without the help of our partners at the state.
28:01So, you know, as I said, in terms of the event itself, the big difference was the volume of water.
28:08It came up very quickly.
28:10Someone was looking over for us, was looking over us because the rain stopped about 9.30.
28:18And we saw another band that was supposed to come through at about 10 or 10.30.
28:23That band didn't arrive until just around midnight.
28:26So that, you know, that two-hour break in the storm allowed the rivers to recede approximately 3 feet, allowed us to regroup, catch our breath.
28:35But like I said, we've got a lot of work to do.
28:38And as I talk about the area, I just want to say I'm not unmindful of what other communities are experiencing.
28:44And my heart goes out to them as well.
28:46I know we have a little few more resources in the area.
28:50And I know for some of the smaller communities in central Vermont, this is especially hard.
28:54So, you know, as soon as we're able, as soon as we have our situation where we need help, we'll be making sure that we're reaching out to our neighbors.
29:02And I just know we're all going to take care of each other.
29:05I don't know if you have.
29:07It's probably a lot more information than you wanted.
29:10Yeah.
29:11That was good. Thank you.
29:15Commissioner Morrison, would you be able to give us any more details on the one fatality?
29:21So it was a man from Peachum.
29:24Is that confirmed? What piece of that is unconfirmed? I'm a little unclear.
29:29So we can't confirm that it's weather related until the autopsy reveals the cause of death.
29:35And that has not happened yet.
29:36So I can't tell you that it's weather related.
29:38We suspect it is weather related.
29:40And I can't give you the name and the age until that process plays out and we confirm that.
29:46Well, next it can be notified.
29:48But it's definitely a man from Peachum.
29:51I am told it is a man from Peachum.
29:54I have been told things that were not accurate in the past, but I do believe that to be true.
29:59And did it happen in Peachum?
30:01I believe that is also true.
30:03Can you tell us why you think it might be weather related?
30:06Is it someone in their yard, someone in their basement, someone on the roof of their house?
30:10It appears to have been someone in a type of vehicle that got swept away in water.
30:16Can you say the type of vehicle?
30:19Not just yet.
30:20Boat or wheeled or anything like that?
30:23Wheeled vehicle.
30:24Thank you.
30:27Governor, in terms of infrastructure loss, how does this compare to last year's floods and Hurricane Irene?
30:34Well, we're still assessing and receiving the details.
30:39Just anecdotally, it doesn't appear to have the magnitude from a financial standpoint as a year ago.
30:46But that doesn't mean that it didn't impact homeowners and folks who lost their infrastructure, driveways and so forth that are suffering today.
30:58So we'll continue to assess.
31:01We'll be in contact with FEMA directly.
31:04We did have a conversation with FEMA, the director of FEMA yesterday, in anticipation of the storm.
31:12So they're very willing to help whenever we need help.
31:17Sticking with FEMA, I was on a tour with them on Tuesday in Stowe and Lamoille County.
31:21Does that help at all that they're already in the state?
31:23Or are they just kind of in their own respective place in Lamoille looking at the events from late June?
31:27Yeah. I wondered the same thing, whether they're going to be able to associate what happened with what with the damage.
31:38Stowe got hit very hard last night.
31:42And so along with the damage they received in the last month, they received more.
31:50So, again, we're going to hear many, many communities.
31:55I saw some pictures you posted this morning.
31:58There's a lot of damage there as well.
32:01So we're going to hear from some of the smaller communities that had a great deal of damage due to this event.
32:09Governor, or someone on your team, can you speak to whether you feel as though the forecasts in this event were accurate and that what played out was reasonably well predicted?
32:20Or was this worse than what some of the forecasts were calling for?
32:23You know, it was a little bit difficult.
32:26We had briefings all day yesterday to try and anticipate and listen to some of your forecasts as well and some of the media.
32:35The modeling was difficult.
32:37We didn't know exactly what path it was going to take.
32:40But generally, we thought it was going to hit right through the central part of the state and west to east.
32:46And that's pretty much what happened.
32:49It moved up a little bit at one point during the day.
32:52But the rainfall numbers exceeded in some areas and were less than others.
32:57So all in all, I think you did a pretty good job in giving us the information.
33:02That's why we prepared.
33:03That's why we called the YMCA.
33:06We had an amendment to the existing state of emergency so that we could access more resources.
33:13The Connecticut team calling them up yesterday and having them assist us was in anticipation of just exactly what we received.
33:22I think last year this time you held a press conference like maybe two or maybe three days before the actual event hit us,
33:31which I think was credited with doing a great deal to help people be extremely aware of what was coming and brace for it.
33:39This time, did what you saw yesterday not merit sort of an all-hands-on-deck kind of get the word out?
33:45Or did you do that?
33:46We did do that.
33:47Okay.
33:48We put out a number of releases along the way.
33:51In fact, when we had our press event in Cabot, we talked about this and wanted to prepare people.
33:59Got it.
34:00So it was anticipated.
34:02And we tried to warn people.
34:04And I want to give credit to the media.
34:06I saw a lot of information flowing from all of you to your listeners and viewers.
34:12And I think that prepared them as well.
34:15My last follow-up is I just spoke to a couple in Waterbury,
34:19and they were looking at the NOAA site that tracks river cresting anticipated times and heights.
34:28And they said that they noticed last night they were being told that the river,
34:35and when the Winooski River was going to be cresting at sort of 418 or so,
34:43and that it actually, when all is said and done this morning, it was more like 425,
34:47just like a foot off of the record last year or so.
34:51I think when it comes to river levels, I know it's hard to anticipate.
34:55But some of the models were not on target and that they were very frustrated by that.
35:01Again, I reflected on that yesterday because it really depended on where we received all the rain.
35:09And that's where the modeling comes in.
35:11It's not an exact science.
35:15So they did the best they could.
35:17We were preparing for the worst.
35:21And where it landed would impact those communities, obviously, more.
35:26And some of the tributaries and the main river corridors as well.
35:34So, again, last year we saw a lot of damage down in the Glenville area.
35:41You can see the capacity there.
35:44We saw it in the Winooski Memorial a year ago.
35:49This time around, we saw more.
35:51Something is heavily impacted.
35:54So there's more that we're seeing that are going to be cresting.
35:59The good news, again, is that some of them have already crested and they're receding.
36:04And hopefully we'll get through the next pan,
36:09or at least the impiccable, going down through the Richmond-Essex area with the crests.
36:16How optimistic are you that we'll get a federally declared disaster?
36:24And do you think it will be the kind where there's public assistance
36:27and individual assistance or probably just public assistance?
36:31Again, we'll have to see without having all of the details and all the information
36:38over the last 12 hours or so.
36:42But I would assume there will be some public assistance,
36:46as well as I believe we'll receive a federal declaration of approval.
36:51On the topic of FEMA, do you have a message to people
36:54still struggling to get assistance from the agency?
36:59Still struggling, you mean from this program?
37:02From last year.
37:03From last year.
37:05Yes, we still have a number of cases that are open.
37:09We're still working our way through that.
37:11And that's not separate in some respects, but it is separate.
37:16So we continue to work on those cases with them and report to us.
37:24We've got a pardon on the charge from the chief of the officer,
37:30and he will continue to take that information in.
37:33So we should continue.
37:35Thank you.
37:37Mike, I didn't quite catch when you said 15 pets.
37:41Was that 15 pets evacuated or who died?
37:47No, it was 15 household pets that were removed,
37:50but it was sort of a cat and dog.
37:53I'm sorry.
37:55I'm sorry.
37:56Yeah, it was sort of a cat, dog, private ownership.
37:58But did they die?
38:00No, they're alive.
38:01Oh, okay.
38:04And that was 118.
38:06118 people?
38:07118 boat-based rescues that were removed from either cars or the homes
38:11or fields or wherever they were stranded.
38:16Okay.
38:17But that might be more people?
38:18Is it 118 rescues or 118?
38:21118 that we've been able to classify.
38:25We have 13 swift water teams that were out there.
38:28We know there were more rescues made by Barry City Fire Department
38:31before we got there, some of these other communities
38:35that we didn't have a swift water rescue team there immediately.
38:38So there are more rescues.
38:39We know that.
38:40I think what she's getting at there is could there have been one rescue
38:43and three people contained in that rescue?
38:45No, those are actual victim numbers or patient numbers.
38:49Okay, thank you.
38:50Sorry.
38:52I'm a busy guy.
38:57I have a question for Commissioner Morrison.
38:58Sure.
38:59Can you discuss a little bit about the 211 system,
39:02which last year had a little stress.
39:03Sure.
39:04This year, how did it perform
39:05and what changes did you make with your contract to allow it to perform better?
39:09So the contract aside, there's a lot of moving parts here.
39:13They have funding for 24-7 now, and they have added resources.
39:18We have been in touch with them for days before this event,
39:21and they were beefing up staffing.
39:24So I don't know how it has performed in the last two hours
39:29since people woke up or three hours since they woke up in daylight
39:33and they started to realize they have damage.
39:35So I don't have an answer for you.
39:37I've had no feedback, positive or negative, about how it's performed,
39:41and we can report back on that tomorrow.
39:44But we have certainly added resources.
39:46We've been working very closely with them in the last few days
39:48in anticipation of this event,
39:50and there are other changes that we're making in the new contract
39:55which will allow us, the state,
39:57to access certain types of information much more quickly
40:01than we were able to last time around.
40:03So as the governor alluded to, we learned a lot last year,
40:08and there are a lot of things that are moving more quickly,
40:11and this is an example of where we hope to yield notable improvement,
40:17and we'll get back to you next time we meet.
40:20Just to be clear, though, so the contract with 211
40:22is the same as it was this time last year?
40:24You don't have a new contract with changes?
40:27We do, but I don't know that it's been signed.
40:30It's being finalized.
40:31So when I say do we have a new contract,
40:33I can't tell you if it's been signed, but it's in the process of being finalized,
40:37and it has changes to it in terms of staffing
40:40and access to data and performance metrics.
40:44That are in play now or that will be in play once the contract is signed?
40:49I think we're splitting hairs
40:51because we have made the expectations really clear in partnership with 211
40:56about the performance metrics.
40:58So if you want to know the details about a written signed contract,
41:02I'd be happy to have somebody in the administrative office chase that down.
41:05But for performance issues,
41:08we're all really clear about the improvements that needed to happen over last year,
41:12and they've been very willing partners who want to step up
41:15and serve our community in the ways that people need to be served.
41:19So we're very optimistic.
41:21If we have to change that narrative in the next briefing,
41:24we will tell it like it is.
41:26Thank you.
41:27Any questions?
41:28There was a number of towns that had sewage overflow.
41:32I didn't catch all the towns.
41:34I was hoping I could maybe.
41:35I think he talked about it.
41:43Thank you.
41:44Let me see if I can find it here.
41:50Okay.
42:10Those were Rutland, St. Johnsbury, Montpelier, St. Albans, Burlington, and Middlebury.
42:17Thank you.
42:18That's all for me.
42:22Governor, Commissioner Morrison,
42:24has there been any damage reported at any medical facilities?
42:28Not that I'm aware of.
42:30Okay.
42:31And are there any concerns with the supply chain
42:34as far as people being able to get medical treatment and medicine and whatnot?
42:38Obviously, we do have a number of roads that we have on
42:43and get through, so it's always a concern.
42:46So we'll continue to do whatever we can to assist,
42:51but in order to re-enclose the exit for people to get treatment,
42:56we'll work our way through it.
43:01Governor, obviously this is the second year in a row of major damage,
43:07and a lot of communities haven't had the opportunity to clean up exactly from last year.
43:12What do you have to say to the homeowners?
43:14Let me ease their minds that this won't happen year after year.
43:17I can't assure them that it won't happen year after year.
43:21What we need to do, obviously, is to build back better.
43:26That means a lot of different things, but that's what our mission is,
43:30and make sure that we're building in places that are impacted.
43:34But we'll get through this, and we'll get it cleaned up as we did last time around,
43:40and it's an ongoing effort.
43:42As I mentioned, it was on a Tuesday in the press briefing.
43:47We just finished the last project with I-8.
43:50That was 12 years later, and it was five years earlier.
43:53So it takes a long time to work out.
43:56It takes a long time to clean up.
43:58It took a lot longer than it took to do the initial damage, and that's for sure.
44:03But we'll stay busy, and we'll get it done.
44:08I have a question for the governor and one for Commissioner Flint.
44:12Governor, do you know what the status is of the effort to get the federal government
44:15to analyze the hydrology of the Winooski Basin
44:18so that we can kind of manage the dams better or get some?
44:21We're working together on that as we speak.
44:24Do you have any information on that basin?
44:27Julia talked about that, I think, on Tuesday.
44:31Sure, I have a little bit of that.
44:36A very high-level colonel with the Army Corps of Engineers actually arrives.
44:42I think it's July 30th for a tour.
44:51We did have one visit.
44:52We had one coming up as well.
44:56That's how we agreed on this one yesterday.
44:59But, yes, I speak very high on this,
45:02and I can certainly find out more for you on this topic.
45:06So we don't know if they're funding the study that we asked them to fund.
45:09It's a year later, and I just want to know if they're going to fund it or not.
45:12I don't know the answer to that.
45:13Okay, we can follow up later.
45:15Commissioner Flint, how did the garage do that you're moving out of?
45:19You're still using it, and I think you still have dozens and dozens of vehicles there, right?
45:23How did it go?
45:24Yeah, well, I think you'll see most of the vehicles are here.
45:28Dave Thurber, our fleet manager, and his team down there started moving vehicles on Tuesday,
45:32I don't know if it was.
45:34I stood in the same place last night that I stood a year ago, and I took video.
45:40And the palm brook that comes down from, like, the hospital in Berlin was raging,
45:46but not quite as much as last year.
45:48It did over Top 302 for a period, but not as much last year.
45:54When I last left there before midnight, there was standing water in the parking lot areas,
46:00but it did not appear that it had gotten into the garage facility in the back,
46:05which was our makeshift facility after last year.
46:09I haven't had a chance to speak to Dave this morning,
46:12but I think I would have heard it if it had gotten into the building.
46:15All the mechanics took home their tools.
46:17Those were all lost last time.
46:19So our level of preparedness was greater because we got more notice,
46:23and we also saw it coming, and we lived through last year.
46:27You still plan to get out of that facility, that property, and build a new garage, right?
46:32We do, actually.
46:34We signed an agreement to purchase land,
46:37and we're actively pursuing the next steps to reconstruct the facility for our fleet.
46:44And then working with A&R and others, eventually, as you've heard the governor say,
46:50look to that 8-acre property on Route 302 as a potential place to store water,
46:54get it back to the river.
46:56Thank you.
46:57Thank you.
46:58Governor, do you have any thoughts to share about the fact that, you know,
47:03it looks like Vermont's long-term recovery is going to, you know,
47:07happen at the same time as it continues to respond?
47:12But the fact that we have to be in active response mode and long-term recovery mode,
47:16probably for the foreseeable future.
47:19Sure.
47:21You know, it's always difficult, you know, in terms of the type of storm it is.
47:26As I mentioned at the briefing on Tuesday, the storm was different.
47:33It was almost a one-day event.
47:38And then the next day, we all woke up, the sun was shining, and we went to work.
47:44We assessed the damage, and everyone went to work in trying to recover.
47:49Last year's storm was different.
47:52We had the initial onslaught of rain, and then it continued to rain for a couple of weeks.
48:01We had different storms that were coming through that weren't all tied together.
48:07We had to look at impact with us day after day after day in terms of recovery and response.
48:15So this storm, it appears at this point, will be more like, in some respects, the Irene, this storm.
48:24So the recovery response should be fairly quick.
48:29The recovery will take some time.
48:31And then we'll just add that right in to what we're already doing.
48:34So I don't believe it will be in conflict between response and recovery as much as we were in the last storm.
48:44Governor, this is now the third flood in one year.
48:48And a lot of our readers and a number of Vermonters are concerned about geoengineering
48:53and persistent weather and climate modification appearing in the skies above Vermont.
48:58Do you have any comment on that?
49:00I would just say that climate change is real.
49:04I think we all need to come to grips with that.
49:06I think there is a political persuasion.
49:10And we deal with it because we need to go back stronger, safer, and smarter than we have before.
49:21So from my standpoint, I think the rain events are caused by carbon emissions.
49:29So for a long period of time, there's not a flip of the switch that's going to fix that or counter that.
49:36But we just need to prepare for what's going to continue over the next number of years,
49:43regardless of what we do overall.
49:45That was our strategy to counteract that.
49:48And make sure that we have the capacity to store the water during these intense storms.
49:55I think that's the key.
49:57So we'll continue what we have to do for that.
49:59The river corridor study will help with that as well.
50:03To make sure that we're not building in place that we shouldn't be building.
50:06And that we're actually buying out some of the locations where we can turn that in.
50:12Like the center garage and a few areas where we can store that water during these intense storms.
50:18Speaking of buyouts, what's the status of buyouts both by the state and by the feds at this point from last year?
50:25And then how does that affect this year?
50:27Yeah, it's continuing and it's complicated.
50:29And some municipalities have a role to play in this.
50:32And I'm sure the mayor knows this better than all of us.
50:37But while we want to protect people, obviously, once there's a buyout and you can't build there again,
50:45and you lose the land that's sitting there,
50:48then you have to figure out where are people going to live?
50:51So it's a little more complicated than just saying,
50:54we're going to buy all these places out and do something different.
50:59We had a housing crisis before this happened.
51:02And this has exacerbated the situation.
51:06So, again, we need whoever's in power and charged and legislatively,
51:12like I said, leaders in the next session,
51:15we need to treat the housing crisis as the crisis it is.
51:20And that means doing some things that may not be comfortable.
51:24But we need to put the psychologists on deck.
51:27We need to figure out a way to build more housing at less cost.
51:32And that's the thing we're going to do.
51:35We just failed to meet the goal in the last session.
51:39Okay, we'll move to the phones now.
51:41Keith Whitcomb, Rutland Herald.
51:47No.
51:49Tom Davis, Compass, Vermont.
51:57This is easy.
51:58Sandy Yousen, Waterbury Roundabout.
52:12Kevin Cullen, Boston Globe.
52:19Okay.
52:29He's on.
52:36All right, we'll follow up the reporters online after this
52:39to get their questions.
52:40Any more from the room?
52:42Governor, if there may be two or three lessons learned from last year
52:45that you're taking into this week, what might they be?
53:15How are you feeling about the level of support received from the federal government?
53:29I mean, FEMA got its top off to the Disaster Relief Fund last year,
53:33but other than that, Vermont's request for supplemental funding
53:36went completely unanswered.
53:38How are you feeling?
53:45It's tough for Congress to get anything done at this point in time.
53:48And we're looking for other avenues.
53:51We're working with the congressional delegation to do that.
53:55There are buckets of money and other programs that we need to access,
54:00and they're helping us assist us to get to the goal.
54:07And I think that we'll get there eventually.
54:10We'll have to do it in other cases.
54:14I think we all work together.
54:17What would those buckets be?
54:19It would be like a PPA money that would assist some of the housing that we're looking at.
54:27I think it's a good likelihood that we should be able to see that.
54:36Thank you all very much.
54:37Thank you.