At least 2 dead after heavy rainfall from Beryl submerges Vermont cities

A second person has died in Vermont amid heavy flooding from persistent torrential downpours Beryl dumped on the state Wednesday and Thursday as it moved through the United States.

John Rice, 73, died when he drove his vehicle through a flooded street in Lyndonville, Police Chief Jack Harris told NBC5. Rice was seen driving through a road that was closed due to rushing water on Thursday. Police say his vehicle was swept off the road and later found submerged under 10 feet of water in a hayfield.

A second man, 33-year-old Dylan Kempton, was found dead in South Peacham Brook, just east of Montpelier. He was riding an ATV when floodwaters swept it away, Vermont State Police said.

State officials say flash flooding has caused "extensive" damage in Vermont, and it will take some time to understand the full scope. In addition to flash flooding, there was some main stem river flooding. Barre, Plainfield, Richmond, Bolton, Lyndon, Lyndonville, Williamstown, Barton, St. Johnsbury and Groton are among the towns impacted.

"Much of northern Vermont saw between 2 and 6 inches of rain," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys said. "Port Henry recorded 5.69 inches, Monkton received 5.38 inches, St. Johnsbury-Fairbanks recorded 5.12, Pittsburg recorded 5.04 inches, and Lydonville saw 4.91 inches of rain."

Adding to the emotional toll, the downpour fell on the one-year anniversary of devastating floods that took place in some of the same towns. In the small city of Barre, which was devastated by the storm last summer, flooding was extensive, with the downtown area underwater and some homes completely washed away.

"People have a sense of PTSD with what we went through a year ago, and now we're dealing with what seems like déjà vu," Chris Violette, the town manager in Barre Town, a separate municipality that surrounds the city, told The NY Times, which reported that at least a dozen swift-water rescue teams made 118 rescues from Wednesday into Thursday.

"Since last July's flooding that left the capital city of Montpelier under waist-high water, it's been a battle with insurance companies, the adjusters, the city, the state and FEMA and the federal government, and nothing is in line with anything else," Lisa Edson Neveu told The Associated Press. Neveu said she and her two sons still live in their home despite unrepaired damage.

Appearing on AccuWeather Early on Friday morning, Montpelier Mayor Jack McCullough said that, ironically, events were scheduled Wednesday commemorating the catastrophic flooding that hit Montpelier and surrounding areas exactly one year ago, although this time, the capital city was largely spared.

"Unfortunately, there are towns and cities around us that were hit hard a year ago and were hit hard again this year, and so Montpelier is not an island, we recognize that while we did well, we are certainly hoping for everything that can be done to help Barre, Waterbury, Middlesex and other towns that were hit hard."

Although Montpelier has come a long way since last year's flooding, McCullough says many issues still need to be addressed.

"The downtown business district has come back quite a lot. Most of our businesses have been able to reopen, and other businesses have relocated, but we still have a vital downtown economy. We have some residents displaced whose homes were devastated, and those people are not all back in place," McCullough said.

Gov. Phil Scott of Vermont, speaking at a press briefing Friday morning after spending Thursday assessing damage, said emergency officials are still in response mode, which means they are focused on saving lives and other urgent needs before they have a complete understanding of the damage and what is needed for recovery.

"From roads and bridges washed out to homes destroyed, the damage is significant. But as I visited towns yesterday and spoke with people, I was reminded of how resilient Vermonters really are," he said. "Even in the face of devastation, I saw them come together, doing what they can for their neighbors to get through this."

Gov. Scott also acknowledged the pervasive fear that this kind of severe weather is a harbinger of what is to come.

"I can't assure people this won't happen year after year," the governor said. "Climate change is real, and we have to deal with it and build back stronger, safer and smarter than we have before."