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On This Day: The Great Vermont Flood of 1927 Inundates The State
November 2, 2020 at 03:02 PM EST
By WeatherBug's Chris Sayles
The Great Vermont Flood of 1927 inundated over half of the state almost 100 years ago.
Leading up to the monumental flooding, Vermont had experienced high levels of rainwater the previous month. The state of Vermont reported nearly 150 percent of its average rainfall for the month of October with some areas in the north reporting totals that were nearly three times their normal averages. The saving grace of the rain received in October was the fact that they were mainly spaced out and not compounded. However, the beginning of November would be quite the opposite.
The large source of the rainfall stemmed from a cold front that swept through the region the evening of November 2. To make matters worse, a deteriorating tropical system sweeping northward along the East Coast brought additional rainfall to the state for the next two days as it would stall over the state.
This would begin a series of unfortunate events as the cold front and the tropical system would tag team New England with buckets of rainfall. Vermont recorded totals up to 6 inches of rainfall between November 2 to 4, with isolated totals up to 15 inches in the northern region.
The intense rainfall would have severe ramifications for the state, including the rapid rise of the Connecticut and Merrimack rivers as well as overflowing the Holyoke Power Dam by an estimated 15 feet. Eighty-five lives were lost in lieu of the devastating flooding, including that of the 1927 Lt. Governor of Vermont, Hollister Jackson. Additionally, around $50 million (more than $500 million in equivalent 2020 dollars) was lost thanks to the damages sustained to infrastructure which included the destruction of 1,285 bridges.
The Great Vermont Flood of 1927 is known as one of the worst natural disasters in state history. In fact, the other detrimental event that took place for this region was no other than 2011 Hurricane Irene. Irene brought monumental rain and damage to the state which mirror the flooding issues in 1927. Climatologically, this region is prone to mid-latitude storms and tropical systems zipping through in late autumn.
Sources: NOAA, NWS, University of Vermont
Story Image: Holyoke Dam in Holyoke, Massachusetts pictured in 1927 during the Great Vermont Flood of 1927. (National Weather Service, Northeast River Forecast Center)
Leading up to the monumental flooding, Vermont had experienced high levels of rainwater the previous month. The state of Vermont reported nearly 150 percent of its average rainfall for the month of October with some areas in the north reporting totals that were nearly three times their normal averages. The saving grace of the rain received in October was the fact that they were mainly spaced out and not compounded. However, the beginning of November would be quite the opposite.
The large source of the rainfall stemmed from a cold front that swept through the region the evening of November 2. To make matters worse, a deteriorating tropical system sweeping northward along the East Coast brought additional rainfall to the state for the next two days as it would stall over the state.
This would begin a series of unfortunate events as the cold front and the tropical system would tag team New England with buckets of rainfall. Vermont recorded totals up to 6 inches of rainfall between November 2 to 4, with isolated totals up to 15 inches in the northern region.
The intense rainfall would have severe ramifications for the state, including the rapid rise of the Connecticut and Merrimack rivers as well as overflowing the Holyoke Power Dam by an estimated 15 feet. Eighty-five lives were lost in lieu of the devastating flooding, including that of the 1927 Lt. Governor of Vermont, Hollister Jackson. Additionally, around $50 million (more than $500 million in equivalent 2020 dollars) was lost thanks to the damages sustained to infrastructure which included the destruction of 1,285 bridges.
The Great Vermont Flood of 1927 is known as one of the worst natural disasters in state history. In fact, the other detrimental event that took place for this region was no other than 2011 Hurricane Irene. Irene brought monumental rain and damage to the state which mirror the flooding issues in 1927. Climatologically, this region is prone to mid-latitude storms and tropical systems zipping through in late autumn.
Sources: NOAA, NWS, University of Vermont
Story Image: Holyoke Dam in Holyoke, Massachusetts pictured in 1927 during the Great Vermont Flood of 1927. (National Weather Service, Northeast River Forecast Center)