Plainfield faces up to $15 million in damages
by Mike Bielawski
Repairing July flood damage to St. Johnsbury town property will cost $3 million. But that’s small change compared to Lyndon, the smaller town to the north, where the select board has decided to take out an $8 million line of credit. And Plainfield in Washington County faces up to $15 million in repairs.
Plainfield
The Town of Plainfield may have the toughest situation, they face $8-15 million in repairs. The small town only has about 1,240 residents according to the most recent census data.
Town clerk Bram Towbin on Monday offered to VDC that estimate and said many are working hard on plans to continue repairing bridges and washed-out roads. There are several instances of each around the village and surrounding roads.
The final repair plans and estimates won’t be known until FEMA makes clear what they can offer. “We have to know what’s coming,” Towbin said.
He said that the town can expect up to 75% to be covered. He added that even with the FEMA funds, remaining costs are expected to be “unsustainable” and grants will likely be needed to make up the difference.
A historic apartment building on Mill Street that was often called the ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ was washed away, it went down in about 15 minutes but everyone was safely evacuated.
Some of the roads that have been washed out and/or have damaged bridges include Lee Road, Rec Field Rd., Cameron Rd., Bean Road, Brook Road, and more.
Passing through the central village these days reveals people are still working hard to get their neighborhoods and lives back in order. A bridge on Mill St. has been at least temporarily rebuilt.
Lyndon
The Town of Lyndon was reported to have taken out $8 million in a line of credit to repair damaged roads. The Caledonia Record reported, “The funds will be used to rebuild east Lyndon roads and bridges washed out by a catastrophic 500-year storm on July 30.”
St. Johnsbury
A report by the Caledonia Record indicates that the St. Johnsbury municipal budget should be able to absorb the $3 million in costs without looking outside its revenues. That could change though.
Town Manager Chad Whitehead told them, “One bridge could really make a big difference.”
Costs higher than 1st expected
An initial survey by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, put total estimated costs for the flooding from July 2024 at $4,675,214, it now appears that estimate was far below what municipalities are dealing with.
The North Star Monthly also did an initial assessment of the damages. They wrote, “Parts of the Northeast Kingdom were some of the hardest hit areas. The sudden deluge caused rivers and streams to swell rapidly, leading to flash flooding in several communities. Homes and businesses were inundated, roads became impassable, and two lives were lost.”
Town Clerk of Troy Terri Medley shared with VDC on Monday that getting federal FEMA funds makes a big difference, especially for small communities. “We certainly appreciate that FEMA was available,” she said.
She explained that the money meant they didn’t have to put what amounted to over $100,000 in damages from the 2023 flooding directly onto their taxpayers.
A report by WCAX from earlier this month reveals that farmers are reluctant to leave Vermont despite its recent flooding issues at least in part because land values are rising.
“According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an acre of farmland in Vermont sold for $4,600 last year, a 9.5% increase from 2022,” their report states.
The writer is an author for the Vermont Daily Chronicle