[Vision2020] [Spam 4.37] Vermont Battles Epic Flooding Throughout State: Woodstock Vt. Early Bird Report

[Betsy Dickow]

Anybody know where the fire is or fires are...very strong scent of fire.


 
-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com] On Behalf Of Ted Moffett
Sent: Sunday, August 28, 2011 8:01 PM
To: Moscow Vision 2020
Subject: [Spam 4.37] [Vision2020] Vermont Battles Epic Flooding Throughout State: Woodstock Vt. Early Bird Report

Hurricane Irene's coastal storm surge and wind damage was not as
severe overall as feared, such as in New York City, but the torrential
rains are doing extensive damage inland in the Northeast US.

CNN just showed video of a raging river threatening to take out a
bridge, with propane tanks floating downstream, in Woodstock, Vermont,
where I lived for a couple of months in 2001.  Many other cities in
Vermont are facing serious flooding and infrastructure damage, as the
following CNN and USATODAY reports reveals:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/28/irene.vermont/

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-08-28/Vermont-battles-epic-flooding-throughout-state/50169536/1

Below are local Vermont reports on the damage to the Woodstock area
from Irene.  I vividly recall from my 2001 stay, the Quechee Gorge
that is described below, now plugged with about 200 propane tanks,
hard to believe, with a washed out road and bridge damage.  I guess
the CNN video of the propane tanks floating down the river in
Woodstock Vt. was for real...

http://woodstockearlyworm.wordpress.com/

200 Propane and Heating Fuel Tanks Piled Up in Quechee Gorge

Posted by Julia Carlisle in Vermont. 4 Comments

Hartford Police Lt. Vail reports to Woodstock Early Bird that some 200
propane and heating fuel tanks released from the area of West
Woodstock today by the flooding Ottauquechee River have now gotten
stuck and piled up in Quechee Gorge.

As a result of propane leaks into the air and for public safety, the
area around Quechee Gorge was shut down and evacuations ordered.

Vail said they will do the best they can to mitigate any danger from
the situation, but right now the tanks are stuck as the flood waters
continue to rage through the small area often referred to as Vermont’s
“Little Grand Canyon”.

Lt. Vail also reports the Quechee Bridge in Quechee Village is still
partially standing although the entire road and about a third of the
bridge on the Quechee Village side has been washed away. The real
estate emporium building has also been washed away and the Simon
Pearce glass-blowing, restaurant and store has been severely flooded
and compromised.

28

Aug

Good News: Taftsville Covered Bridge Closed Off but Still Standing
Posted by Julia Carlisle in Vermont. 19 Comments

Woodstock Early Bird has just gotten off the ringy-dingy with two
Woodstock  Emergency Services personnel who were just at the
Taftsville Covered Bridge. They report it is still standing and
appearing to be intact (it’s dark and this is not an engineering
assessment, mind you) despite reports that it was being knocked around
a bit by both the Ottauquechee River floodwaters and those dozens of
propane and heating fuel tanks that were propelling themselves
downstream from West Woodstock.

28

Aug

Quechee Covered Bridge Flooded Over
Posted by Julia Carlisle in Vermont. 6 Comments

A Woodstock Bird tipster reported the news awhile ago  that the
Quechee Covered Bridge was washed out by the flood swollen
Ottauquechee River.

This video (not WEB’s)  at Youtube gives pretty dramatic evidence to
what happened:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2oDT_fV6Vs

Alas, Woodstock Early Bird is  not set up to post actual video. But
check it out. Amazing, we’d say.

28

Aug

Woodstock Early Birds Report In…From Quechee, Route 106 and High Street
Posted by Julia Carlisle in Vermont. 6 Comments

 The Quechee golf course bridges are both gone (the one on Whitman
Creek between the par 3′s on the back of Highland) and the one near
the clubhouse principally used for pedestrian traffic. The Quechee
Covered bridge down in the village has water on the roadway and is
blocked off to traffic, and is not expected to survive the flood.

I live on Rt 106..when I saw the Kedron Brook rising behind my home I
felt it was time to go…that was at 1:30PM….106 was difficult to pass
with broken roadway and water. The golf course and peoples yards were
inundated. Rt 4 was closed east and west.

I had the TV report on all morning and saw little local coverage….as
well as VPR. Hartford Vt residents received a recorded call advising
where to go if flood waters approached. The firefighter I spoke with
in town had no idea what to advise as to where to find shelter. He
looked frazzled (who can blame him). The elementary school was not
even open at that time. We are all responsible for ourselves, I
realize that…but I think our town could have better taken care of us.
I am safely sitting in the Braeside Motel…whose owners have gone above
and beyond the call of duty to make us comfortable.

Julia, thanks for great reporting. I am in NY trying to come home
monday. I feel helpless here with so much horro happening in wdstk.
Please con’t to keep me posted. I wonder if I have a house to return
to.

2:19 PM Kedron just breached its banks behind our house on High
Street. Looks like Court St may flood in a short time.

Does anyone know if the Ottauquechee Health Center is under water? I
would guess the top floors aren’t, but does anyone know if the
basement is safe?

And….Cindy on High Street is offering accomodation at her home should
anyone need it. Contact: earlybirdtips at yahoo.com and we’ll put you in
touch with her.

28

Aug

Woodstock Inn Flooded…Water Pressure Out….Power Still On
Posted by Julia Carlisle in Vermont. 1 Comment

The Woodstock Inn has water running through its basement from South
Street to Mechanic Street
One of the most unusual and dramatic scenes during this Irene deluge
is the odd site of water coursing into the lower “Play room” lounge of
the Woodstock Inn on South Street –  the Route 106 side – and then,
moving to the other side of the Inn on  Mechanic Street, seeing the
water rushing out over the end of the of loading dock in fact it is
pouring  off  of the loading dock.

In the same area, some of the residents of  Golf Avenue and Maple
Street area have been evacuated as water churns through the
neighborhood.

And…residents on High Street report a loss of water pressure. Oh, now
we get it!  No water, no flushy-the-toilette. Luckily Woodstock Early
Birds “hip to the hurricane” filled their tubs with H20 or rum. But
why waste rum by flushing it down the toilet?

The Kedron Brook has  flooded out “Teagle Landing” off Central Street
and appears precipitously close to flooding the main street there.
Here is a photo of the old mill building with water half way up the
windows. (Apologies for raindrops on the lens….Early Birds are bit
bedraggled by this time of day…)

28

Aug

Riverside Park Dwellers Evacuated….Swift Water Rescue Underway
Posted by Julia Carlisle in Vermont. 3 Comments

The Ottauquechee River  and the Kedron Brook in Woodstock are both
overflowing their banks, causing problems in the Village and just
outside.

Police Chief Robbie Blish and Officer Joe Swanson just taped off
entrances to the Woodstock “Middle Bridge in the center of town. River
gawkers were getting too close for comfort to the edge of the bridge
as cars, fuel tanks and other debris raced under it. A slightly off
smell filled the air as a small propane tanks either exploded or
off-gassed during their journey.

Right now, preparations are underway — that means good fresh hot
coffee is being made — at Woodstock Elementary School — the local
emergency evacuation center — which is expecting a bus load of
Riverside Park residents who have been flooded out of their homes.

Meantime, at Riverside Park, which sits low along the banks of the
Ottauquechee in West Woodstock, a rescue operation is underway.
Hartford Swift Water rescue was called in to try to get people away
from their trailer which has been surrounded by flood waters. Police
Chief Blish says is was a very iffy situation.

Here is a photo of the scene behind the Woodstock Inn. Vail Field has
several feet of water covering it from the Kedron Brook which is also
overflowing onto Cross Street. A three foot wall of water heading
toward Rt. 106 South is preventing travel outside the Village beyond
Vail Field.

Cross Stree covered in Kedron Brook Water. Inn Housing Threatened.

28

Aug

Taftsville Covered Bridge Cracking Under Flood Water Pressure
Posted by Julia Carlisle in Vermont. 3 Comments

The Taftsville Covered bridge, an oft-photographed quintessential
Vermont scene is in danger of destruction due to flood waters. The
Ottauquechee River has already overflowed its banks in Woodstock and
is also threatening the so-called “Middle Bridge” in the Village which
sits directly across from the Woodstock Inn and Resort. Emergency
vehicles are posted at the bridges to keep cars and onlookers back
from the raging waters which continue to catapult oil tanks picked up
along banks heading downstream. Riverside Trailer Park tanks have been
swept away, as have farm animals in the area.

Simultaneously, the Kedron Brook in Woodstock has overflowed its banks
onto Cross Street, Mechanic Street and Golf Avenues in the Village.
The home belonging to Corwin and Priscilla Sharp has been flooded.
Cars in the Woodstock Inn administration building parking lot are also
under water.

28

Aug

Dead River Propane Freed and Tanks Floating Down River
Posted by Julia Carlisle in Vermont. 1 Comment

Multiple propane fuel tanks  were freed by Ottauquechee  floodwaters
in West Woodstock  this afternoon. They were seen floating under the
Little Theater bridge near the Recreation Center along Route 4 in
Woodstock.  Several propane tanks were heard hitting the bridge
abuttments as they went under the bridge.

In this photograph, taken by intrepid Woodstock Early Bird tipster
Dianne Langona, a fuel tank is seen floating by what we believe to be
the  Macksoud household across the river at College Hill which has
obviously succumbed to flood waters.

Woodstock Emergency Services has been fielding many calls. When or if
you call, the first thing responders need to know is whether it’s  an
immediate emergency or not. They are trained to “triage” calls so if
it’s not an immediate threat to life, please be patient. They are
doing the best they can.

28

Aug

Ottauquechee Over Banks Flooding Rt. 4 West
Posted by Julia Carlisle in Vermont. 1 Comment

Woodstock Early Bird Photo
The Ottauquechee River has overflowed its banks in West Woodstock,
flooding the area by Dead River Fuel and the Woodstock Farmer’s
Market. Waters are also at level with the White Cottage Snack Bar.

The Woodstock Fire Department has set up a road block on Route 4 West
by Woodstock Union High School to divert traffic. There is NO WAY
THROUGH beyond the Woodstock Recreation Department bridge. Already
pooling water on Route 4 in West Woodstock is approaching dangerous
levels.

The photograph here show a dumpster floating in the river next to
Woodstock Glass building.

Also…it does not appear safe to cross the bridge over the Ottauquechee
that goes to Riverside Park and Carleton Hill. River level is fast
approaching the level of the bridge deck.
------------------------------------------
Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett

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