Flooding in Vermont by Matt Taylor
Flash flood watches were in place for central and northern parts of Vermont yesterday as severe thunderstorms broke out in many areas.
Torrential rain caused flash flooding that washed out roads and forced scores of people from their homes. The National Weather Service said that one of the worst hit areas was Addison County, where around 180mm (7 inches) of rain fell throughout Wednesday.
Over the past few weeks, much of the USA has been experiencing heatwave conditions. The heat built in central and southern areas and then gradually shifted eastwards towards the Atlantic regions. The heatwave started breaking down at the beginning of the week across the northeast USA as cooler air plunged south from Canada. Severe thunderstorms were sparked off where the cool, dry air met the warm and humid air. Much of the flooding was attributed to the fact that the ground was very dry after the prolonged, hot spell and the water was not absorbed in the soil quickly enough.
Cooler, fresher and more settled weather is now forecast across the northeast with some sunshine expected. This is good news for the flood victims and for those who have been reeling under the heatwave conditions over the past few weeks.
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