The Great Vermont Flood
The recent historic flooding in Vermont—now dubbed the Great Vermont Flood of July 2023—caused a great deal of record-breaking catastrophe. In early and mid-July, flash flooding and river flooding occurred in Vermont, resulting in significant property losses from mudslides and washouts of bridges. The most significant flood damage occurred during the days of July 10th to July 11th, when three to nine inches of rainfall were observed over a period of 48 hours, the highest recorded in the state being 9.2 inches in Calais, Vermont.
According to the National Weather Service, the 5.28-inch rainfall at the airport in Montpelier was the highest recorded rainfall at the site since records began in 1948, beating the previous record set with Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. July rainfall in Montpelier also set a monthly record of 12.06 inches, beating the previous monthly record set in August of 1989, with 10.69 inches.
Damage from the Great Vermont Flood of July 2023 rivaled and surpassed Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. Only the Great Flood of 3-4 November 1927 exceeded the impact of the recent flooding and the events of the past century. According to AP News, two people died in the flooding, and more than 4,000 homes and 800 businesses reported damage.
The Vermont flooding, and flooding around the world, has been ultimately made more likely by climate change. As the atmosphere gets warmer due to greenhouse gasses, the air is able to hold more moisture, which leads to heavier downpours. For every 1 degree Celsius the air increases in temperature (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) the air can hold approximately 7% more moisture.
What can we as a school do? Or as individuals? Well, you can do things like save energy at home, use public transportation and/or other means of transportation besides cars, or eat more vegetables, as they have far less of an impact on the environment than animal and dairy products. However, there isn’t one quick and easy solution to climate change. So, the most important thing is to band together as a community and make our voices heard through policy, as well as help each other with the effects of climate change.