WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Storms Swamp Rutland, Chelsea

Heavy rains and rising water led to evacuations in parts of Vermont Friday.

The small village of Chelsea was hit hard by a very fast moving storm. Residents say it started as just thunder and lightning and then came the torrential rain.

At the McCullough home in Chelsea village things are a mess. The basement is brimming with mud. Homeowner Spike McCullough told WCAX he has not seen this much water since the flood of 1973.

"Came on awful quick," McCullough said. "I don't think it rained hard here for more than 20 minutes before the river was running right over into the field. A good river coming right down through the field in about 20 minutes. But it had to have let go somewhere up above long before that. Must have been some beaver ponds or something because more garbage went down that river than you can imagine. Whole woods and stuff just going like a bullet down the river."

Chelsea Deputy Fire Chief John Upham said, "Initially it was a vicious thunder and lightning storm with no rain. Then the rains came. Since I've lived here 28 years I've never seen it rain like it did. Everything just came up at once all of a sudden. The brooks that flooded have flooded in the past within recent years, so you wouldn't think there was anything left in those brooks to plug up everything. But as you can see over here it's plugged up. It was just amazing."

There were no reports of injuries in Chelsea.

Crews were working hard to clean up the damage. Much of the damage was to back roads.

The city of Rutland also saw flooding Friday afternoon.

Thunderstorms dropped more than an inch of rain, forcing evacuations at the Asa Bloomer State Office building and several businesses and restaurants. Several homes also had to be evacuated, including a number on Clover Street.

Rutland's final Friday Night Live celebration of the year has been canceled due to the flooding. But the highly anticipated Dan Tyminski concert scheduled for Friday night at the Paramount Theater is still scheduled to happen.

An emergency shelter is opening at the Rutland Regional Medical Center at 160 Allen Street.

The flooding closed several roads, but at last report Vermont Emergency Management said all state roads have now reopened, although some are reduced to one lane.

Anson Tebbetts - WCAX News