Preparing for Floods

Laura reporting:

Alison Spasyk, a flood resilience educator with the Lake Champlain Sea Grant, gave an informative talk in late September on Flood and Emergency Preparedness. As a Jericho resident, Alison is also part of TTJ’s Resilience Hub, a group of citizens strategizing around local emergency planning.

Alison started by saying that flooding is the most common (and costly) recurring hazard in Vermont. Especially since the ‘23 and ‘24 floods, localities have strived to be better prepared for the future. Historically, most parts of the state have been affected by flooding; specifically for Jericho/Underhill during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.

Vermont, largely because of its topography, is uniquely susceptible to flooding. Precipitation trends of frequent, intense bursts of rainfall, interspersed with longer dry spells add to the flood risk. 

Alison described different forms of flooding; about 25% is inundation flooding of  rivers and storm water; about 75% of flooding comes from erosion, the most expensive to remedy. Other flooding comes from ice jams in the spring after thawing along bridges, creating water backup.

She said we’re still suffering consequences of past river management; the straightening and deepening of river beds makes them weaker and more susceptible to flooding; luckily, we’re seeing a gradual return of rivers to their natural, meandering state.

Alison showed a map of our local Brown’s River; one could see the unnatural straightness of part of it, leading to a proclivity to flooding and erosion. She talked about mitigation strategies such as broadening flood plains and creating upstream floodwater storage as examples.

Alison covered everything from flood insurance/disclosure laws, to evacuation routes to home strategies such as basement management. She offered practical advice like noticing how water pools around your house during heavy rainfall and planting water-loving plants. Alison also shared tips on cleaning and safety after your home or garden has been flooded.  

She mentioned that most flood deaths are due to driving; just one foot of inundation is enough to endanger your driving! She recommended signing up for VT Alert, to stay informed of flooding as well as other risks.

Watch for Alison’s presentation, posted here soon, thanks to our local public access, Mt. Mansfield Community TV.

Flooding in Cambridge, Vermont