Irene brings worst flooding in century to Vermont

WATERBURY, Vt. (AP) — The remnants of Hurricane Irene turned placid rivers and streams into raging torrents across parts of Vermont and upstate New York on Monday, closing hundreds of roads, destroying dozens of bridges and cutting off entire communities in the worst flooding some areas have seen in a century.

Irene dumped up to 11 inches on parts of Vermont and more than 13 inches on some areas of New York — a deluge that quickly overwhelmed waterways, storm sewers and drainage systems. At one point, the floodwaters were climbing so fast that Vermont officials feared they might have to take the extraordinary step of flooding the state capital of Montpelier to relieve pressure on a dam.

"We prepared for the worst and we got the worst in central and southern Vermont," Gov. Peter Shumlin said. "It's just devastating — whole communities under water. ... We're tough folks here in Vermont, but Irene really ... hit us hard."

The governor and Sen. Patrick Leahy toured some of the most devastated communities by helicopter Monday, but because the floodwaters cut off many of those towns, the full extent of the damage could take days to emerge. In at least a dozen places, neither utility crews nor emergency vehicles could get in to offer help. President Barack Obama has declared the state a federal disaster area.

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