Braintree, Vermont - September 1, 2011
Paul Rea normally calls the Abel Mountain Campground along the third branch of the White River his little piece of paradise. Now, it's anything but. The campground was destroyed by floodwaters.
"We're done at this point. Everything's gone," he said. "That pavilion building here-- that's the roof over there."
Fortunately, Rea prepared for the storm. He started evacuating the campground before the rains hit; 65 trailers, dozens of picnic tables and hundreds of people were moved to higher ground.
But all that remains now is a sandy beach. Bicycles, an old flag and a toppled camper litter the grounds. The pool-- now a supersized puddle. A huge crater in the ground was actually once a road about 300 feet away from the river. Now, it's a fish pond.
Fortunately, few private campgrounds suffered this kind of damage in Vermont. The same holds true for the state park system.
"The spring floods really had a much bigger effect," said Craig Whipple of Vermont state parks.
Only one of the 38 parks, Camp Plymouth, was damaged. Although three others-- Gifford Woods, Coolidge, and Silver Lake state parks-- are closed.
"You can't get there because the roads are washed out," Whipple explained.
Vermont's new reputation is worse than the actual damage. As word of the devastation spreads, park phones are ringing off the hook.
"We have had a lot of cancellations," Whipple said.
But they are problems that pale in comparison to Paul Rea's. Seven years of hard work is now washed away.
"It's our livelihood. It's everything," he said.
A campground that was much more than just a campground.
"It's everything they remember. It probably would have been theirs someday," Rea said.
Priceless memories and another life suddenly altered by a storm for the record books.
Campers with reservations at state parks that are closed this weekend have the option of rebooking their trip or getting a full refund.
Keagan Harsha - WCAX News
