powderfreak

Civilization has occupied vulnerable places in the past. Back in the day, being near a water source and in the warmer valley climate with good soil was the recipe to survival. This event hit those areas.

The early observations, and final rainfall totals really showed the topographical effects of this event. It was a textbook SE flow orographic event that coupled with favorable upper level dynamics. High moisture levels (high dews and PWATS), abnormally strong prolonged moisture transport, with the NWS noting closed circulations aloft over western NY as the event developed... that just funnels moisture from the Atlantic up into the terrain reaching from western CT/adjacent NY northward through the eastern slopes of the Greens. In Vermont, there was low level orographics coupling with favorable upper level lift that took this precipitation event into historic levels. Just a wave of moisture into the terrain off the Atlantic, with peak efficiency occurring on the east slopes like a blocked flow. Best lift was upstream of the barrier and in the zone of rising air out of the upper CT/White River Valley.

Photos by D.Taylor. This first one is incredible to me. That's just so much water.

Just a damage photo dump from social media. M.Davison in Hardwick.

Wife snapped a couple. But it’s really just like one massive waterway/lake all along I-89 between the Greens. Just water filled in the whole valley.

That’s the two feet above record crest right there. Johnson is in bad shape. That’s a lot of food gone to waste too.

A friend in Waterbury had the Winooski River enter their basement. Luckily they are ok and that’s as high as it got. Holy crap that’s stressful.

Some additional media out there. RT 15 in Hardwick. Waterbury, VT

Tough driving on the interstate.

Someone was saying the problem with designing infrastructure for 100+ year events is when you start to get one of those events per decade.

Lamoille River at Jeffersonville (town that Smugglers Notch Ski Area is associated with) new record high crest.

Driving I-89 along the Winooski is absolutely mind blowing.

Took a break from watching Super Troopers to check out the flooding.

It's actually already down quite a bit. It is a very fast acting river draining all of Mansfield's east side, but as soon as the rain stops it flushes out pretty fast. It was actually highest yesterday morning during peak rain rates and then came back up yesterday evening during heavy rain. But as soon as rain rates drop the flow drops. It all flows into the Winooski in the end.

That's crazy. Only 0.15" here after midnight. I thought Stratus was over 6" yesterday evening but emptied came out at 5.89" for storm total.

I’m hearing I-89 might be messed up in both directions and closed for some time in that Montpelier to Waterbury stretch.

This event has brought travel to a true halt. It has restricted travel that humans in modern society are accustomed to… and that is what makes a weather event noteworthy.

Finally a break moving through. It’s just been steady moderate to heavy rain for 24 hours.

The general tenor of photos and observations coming out of Vermont in this event are definitely on the higher end of the scale for weather impacts. People are going to remember this one. Like the state remembers Irene. The model progs were largely correct depicting higher end event, especially from 48 hours out.

Montpelier is in big trouble. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuiWbPBgzZ0/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Winooski River at Montpelier crest upgraded to 22.7 feet about 3 feet higher than the midday forecast. Thats also 3 feet higher than the Irene crest at #2 all time, record is the 1927 flood at 27 feet. This is going to be rough tonight for those communities along the Winooski… Montpelier, Waterbury, Richmond, etc.

Might not have to irrigate the lawn today? Maybe just the grass on top of the knoll?

At 6”, gonna clear it in this event.

The shots out of Barre are eye-opening too. I didn’t know they flood like that.

How much water does a Stratus hold total? The thing looks over half full.