View from SkyEye: 'Catastrophic' floods leave destruction throughout Vermont
LUDLOW, Vermont - WBZ-TV reporter Brandon Truitt rode along in the SkyEye helicopter to explore the devastation wrought by recent floods in Vermont and Western Massachusetts.
Just past UMass Amherst, SkyEye crossed the Connecticut River, where water spilled over the banks, flooding farmlands. Area residents were left wondering how high the water could get, as the river had yet to crest.
In Shelburne Falls, rivers approached the bottoms of bridges and pushed dams to the limit. Moving on to Swanzey, New Hampshire, a newly paved road was caved in on itself and a dirt bike course was under water as river banks were breached throughout the town.
But it was in Ludlow, Vermont, that one could see the "historic and catastrophic" flooding that caused Governor Phil Scott to put a State of Emergency in place.
Visible from the sky were railroad tracks suspended in mid-air, with the bridge that used to be under them completely washed away. Signs of the strength of the floodwaters were everywhere - from propane tanks dropped in the middle of Main Street to storage containers left floating in the river.
Near Okemo ski mountain, debris was pushed into the sides of homes as people tried to make sense of the damage.
Montpelier, the capital of Vermont, is entirely cut off from the state, and there are concerns that a nearby dam could still overflow, even though rains have stopped.
For a complete list of road closures, visit NewEngland511.org.