Newport, Vermont - May 2, 2011
Many cities and towns are still dealing with flooding including the Northeast Kingdom which was hit hard.
Normally on a sunny day like Monday, Gardner Memorial Park in Newport is packed. "Easily 200 people visit our playground -- it certainly hinders the neighborhood here," said Andrew Cappello, Newport's Parks and Recreation Director.
But no one can visit -- the park is closed because of flooding from heavy rainfall last week. "This park is on the waterfront and we're over the Clyde River right now, and it empties into the lake just 200 yards downstream, so everything comes together right here," Cappello said. "At this point we don't know the full extent of the damage. Once it goes away there's going to be a lot of silt clean up debris clean up."
Up further into the Northeast Kingdom, along route 114, crews are busy with more flooding damage. Next to the Canadian border in Norton, half of the road was washed away. "It's the way the land lays and the melting of the snow, that's what got this place in trouble right here. It just wasn't ready to handle water that fast," said Norman Brooks of Winterset.
Officials say this area is the worst along the 26 mile stretch from Island Pond to Canaan.
"There's a two foot culvert pipe that water came down so fast it plugged the end of it. I wasn't here but obviously the water jumped across the road and created a lot of damage right here,"Brooks said.
"The tricky part for us is this park is so close to the water table -- is just inches below the surface so we can't drive out on the field with any heavy machinery, everything has to be done by hand for now. It's going to be two or three weeks till we can really start cleaning up," Cappello said.
And for both areas the next step will just be time. "It'll spoil about two weeks. I'll be surprised if they have it paved by the end of May," Brooks said.
An area that can only hope for sunny skies in the days to come.
Gina Bullard - WCAX News
