Vermont’s Capital Is Flooded as Ice Diverts River into Town

Ice jams diverted a rushing river through the heart of Vermont’s capital Wednesday, and the flood forced the closing of state offices and schools.

“This is a very serious situation,” said Gov. Howard Dean, who declared an emergency and called out the National Guard to help rescue people as the water rose rapidly during the morning to depths of up to six feet.

No injuries were reported in Vermont or in New Hampshire, where similar ice blockage caused less serious flooding.

As Dean spoke, he watched a kayaker paddling past the Statehouse. Canoes and rowboats also could be seen in the flooded streets as civilians and guardsmen rescued people from downtown buildings and from atop cars.

“It was like the floodgates opened. It got bad fast,” firefighter Gordon Bock said.

The downtown area filled with water as the Winooski River, obstructed by huge blocks of ice jammed against bridges, jumped its banks and took a new course. The rushing water filled about half a mile of State Street with turbulent rapids.

“All we can do is stand and watch,” said Washington County Sheriff Donald Edson, who lost three cars in the flood.

A railroad bridge over the Winooski collapsed Wednesday afternoon under the crush of ice, pulling down most power lines to Montpelier, the nation’s smallest state capital.

About an hour later, however, workers using a crane repeatedly dropped a large weight on the biggest of three ice jams and the floodwaters began receding.

Earlier, the standing water was contaminated with diesel fuel and gasoline, and propane tanks floated loose around city streets.

State Buildings Commissioner John Zampieri said work crews were using boxes filled with old tax forms and sand to keep the water out of the state’s Pavilion Building.

State government offices and schools in Montpelier were closed all day, and a state rescue team came to the aid of stranded residents. Electricity was cut off throughout the downtown area as a precaution against a spark igniting a gas leak.

Montpelier, which has a population of about 8,000, had not experienced such a problem since a flood 65 years ago killed 60 people, including the lieutenant governor.