• March 26, 2007, 4:15 PM: Update from City Manager - Wrap-Up Message
• March 25, 2007, 7:12 PM: Update from City Manager - IT'S OVER - NO FLOOD IN 2007!!!
• March 24, 2007, 3:30 PM: Update from City Manager
• March 23, 2007, 12:30 PM: Update from City Manager
• March 23, 2007, 9:00 AM: Planning Director's Note
• March 22, 2007, 5:30 PM: Update from City Manager
• March 21, 2007, 1:50 PM: Update from City Manager
• March 20, 2007, 6:30 PM: Update from City Manager
• March 19, 2007, 10:45 AM: Update from Planning Director - Communication Tips
• March 19, 2007, 8:30 AM: Flood Cleanup Link added to links section
• March 16, 2007, 12:30 PM: Update from City Manager
• March 15, 2007, 3:30 PM: Update from City Manager
• March 15, 2007, 12:00 PM: Vermont Emergency Management Noon Update
• March 15, 2007: New Sandbag Brochure added to site (PDF Document)
• March 15, 2007, 8:30 AM: Vermont Emergency Management Morning Update
• March 15, 2007, 5:00 AM: Update from City Manager
• March 14, 2007: Vermont Emergency Management Daily Update
• March 14, 2007: National Weather Service Releases Flood Watch for Most of VT
• March 13, 2007: Vermont Emergency Management Daily Update
• March 13, 2007: Siren Follow-up
• March 13, 2007: Siren Testing
• March 13, 2007: Montpelier Ice Jam Monitoring Workshop (includes PDF of workshop)
• March 12, 2007: Update from City Manager
• March 12, 2007: Vermont Emergency Management Daily Update
• March 12, 2007: Montpelier Emergency Management Update to be aired on ORCA Channel 15 (Quicktime video)
• March 12, 2007: Additional Flood Monitoring Links from NOAA
• March 12, 2007: Detailed 1992 Flood Map added to "Flood of 1992" webpage (link to PDF map)
• March 08, 2007: Message from Mayor Mary Hooper
• March 07, 2007: Update from Police Chief Doug Hoyt
• March 07, 2007: Sandbag Brochure added
• March 06, 2007: Evacuation Route Map added
• March 06, 2007: Real-Time Monitor Data added
• March 01, 2007: Flood Alerts Listserv created & added to site
• February 28, 2007: Flood Preparation Update from City Manager
• February 09, 2007: Freeze-up Ice Jam Situation Message from City Manager

1. A lot of work was done by the community and it was not a waste of time and effort. People may or may not have realized just how close a call we had last week. According to our experts, another six inch rise in the river last Thursday (the 15th) would have most likely caused a real problem. The upstream ice was starting to break up and just a little more river rise would have sent thick, strong ice into a still stable freeze up jam. And following that, if the March 17th snow storm had been rain we'd have had a real problem as well. This threat was very real.
2. We had bad luck with the weather in January which created the situation but got pretty much a perfect melt out weather scenario the last two weeks (except for the 14th/15th scare). There's no question that different weather would have produced drastically different results.
3. Its hard to say whether the city's efforts on the river prevented a big jam or flood yesterday but I can say from witnessing it first hand that the dusting helped weaken the ice significantly which allowed the broken up ice pack to plow right through. The open flowing channels created by the sewer effluent and crane then pulled the ice pack directly into the wide open water beyond. It was not out of the question that a jam could have occurred at cemetery curve given the huge volume of ice that had accumulated by then.
4. The city, Vermont Emergency Management, CRREL and other involved agencies have already scheduled a meeting for next week for debriefing, lessons learned and consideration of what can be done next in terms of risk reduction, mitigation, prevention etc.
5. We will consider all strategies to reduce risk in future occurrences. I caution though, that the very essence of this problem is water freezing in a cold climate. Add to that a shallow, extremely flat stretch of river with a built up city around it essentially using all of its natural flood plain. We may come up with a lot of good ideas but its safe to say that we will not be able to prevent the river from freezing. Therefore its also important to stay on top of response and protection, not unlike areas prone to hurricanes - many of which blow out to sea through no efforts of their local or state governments - or for that matter major snow storms or ice storms. We have no way of knowing whether the frazil ice freeze up obstruction was a unique bizarre occurrence this winter of a sign of things to come in the future.
6. Sandbags - the city, with assistance from the department of corrections, will begin picking up sandbags this week - probably by Wednesday. People who want to move sandbags earlier can simply return them to the city hall plaza where you got them and we'll take them from there. People are also welcome to keep the sandbags if they'd like to save them for future use. The green sand bags are designed to last a long time and can be stock piled. The brown/white sand bags are made of a different material and will deteriorate and are not meant for long term use or future stockpiling.
7. Thank you's. First thank you to all of you for your suggestions, ideas, comments and encouragement. We never lost sight of the fact that any work we were doing was for your behalf. I would like people in Montpelier to realize exactly how many different people and agencies were actively involved in this effort. I thank them all and apologize in advance to any group I inadvertently leave out.
   • Vermont Emergency Management Agency (VEMA)- Director Barbara Farr took the bull by the horns and got all the important state agencies working together on this. Its been a true pleasure to work with her. Public Information Officer Mark Bosma cranked out regular press releases to keep everyone informed. Barb and Mark were on every conference call with us whether it was 4 AM, 10 PM or whenever. Ray Doherty worked his tail off to get our grant application into FEMA on time for more vanes in the river as one strategy to reduce risk.
   • Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) - A division of the Army Corps of Engineers, these people are the leading ice experts in the country. Fortunately for us they are based in Hanover, NH. They made many trips up here, set up our new river gauges, did aerial surveillance and gave us daily advice, usually several time per day. They came up and trained our employees in how to "read" ice and interpret information. We got particular help from Kate White who was on all our conference calls no matter what time of day or day of the week. She even arrived in person yesterday to observe and advise us during the final break up. Andy Tuthill and Chris Williams were also very helpful to us.
   • National Weather Service - since the weather was the key variable, their information was essential. Any planning we did was based on the weather info they gave us. And they were extremely accurate. Greg Hanson and crew were in on every call at all hours of the day and night.
   • The National Guard - under the direction of Colonel Chris Bishop, 20 or so guard members came to Montpelier and efficiently filled and delivered 5.665 sand bags for community use. Many people were here away from their normal place of employment and/or their families working on the city's behalf.
   • US Geological Service (USGS) - installed a new river gauge on Langdon St. Monitored river flows and volumes, also made most if not all conference calls. Special thanks to John Denner.
   • Agency of Natural Resources, River Division - Barry Cahoon and Pat Ross. Provided incredible river knowledge, got permits approved in a day for the sewer effluent and river dusting. Pat was up all night with us on the 14th & 15th taking ice readings and was on most of the phone calls.
   • Montpelier Downtown Community Association - Suzanne Hechmer organized the volunteer sandbagging effort and worked tirelessly to communicate with the downtown merchants about what was going on.
   • State of Vermont - Deputy Administration Secretary Mike Bertrand took this issue to heart. He attended every meeting, made every phone call and kept an open line of communication with the Governor's office and all state agencies.
   • FEMA, the Corps of Engineers and our Congressional Offices also had staff involved on a regular basis.
   • The Montpelier Police, Public Works and Fire departments worked round the clock watching the river, making ideas work. DPW got the dusting operation and the effluent pumping operation running within a week. I need to offer personal thanks to Chief Doug Hoyt, DPW Director Todd Law and Fire Chief Ges Schneider. The four of us have spent a lot of time together at all hours of the day and night watching ice melt.
   • All the city employees really rallied to the cause. Between preparing information, answering questions, making contacts with people and keeping other city business flowing. I thank Planning Director Gwen Hallsmith for coming up with the idea of these Google groups. What a great way to communicate regularly with over 1,000 interested people.
   • Community groups, especially the Red Cross, really stepped up. We also thank our potential shelter providers Vermont College and National Life.
   • We also appreciate the many people who stopped some of us in the street to offer words of encouragement or appreciation. It really means a lot and helps.
   • Finally I'd like to thank my family who have put up with a lot of uncertainty and stress. My poor children have become deputized river and ice watchers despite their claim that it is "boring". My wife has been extremely supportive and understanding, even when she's been getting quizzed by people about whether there will be a flood or not.

1. Why doesn't the city just break open or blast open the jam?
   
   

   The use of the term "jam" may have created unintentional confusion. What presently exists is a mile long restriction of the river channel from about the Middlesex line to the confluence of the North Branch river. In this area, the river is frozen solid from top to bottom on both sides leaving only a very narrow channel for water to flow through. While this is technically called freeze up jam, it is not a jam with a single point of blockage. Therefore there is no one place to break open.
   
   The depth and thickness of the ice for such a long stretch precludes traditional jam breaking techniques. Blasting is useless, particularly with the "frazil" ice that his causing the obstruction. When rock or ledge is blasted one is left with smaller pieces of rock. When ice is blasted one is left with smaller pieces of ice which then freeze together to become a large piece of ice again. Removal of the blasted ice is a problem and with sheet ice still existing downstream there is no place for these ice fragments to go. The amount of dynamite necessary to remove the obstruction would create serious damage throughout downtown. The experts we are working with discourage blasting unless it can be targeted in one limited location without anything around it that could be harmed.
   
   The best strategy available is to use warming techniques. Water from hydrants and the wastewater treatment plant is warmer than the river water and has been effectively melting ice in the areas where it is being introduced. Unfortunately it can't cover the full length of the frozen restriction. Surface dusting has also been effective. Placing dark material on the side of the river which gets the southern sun exposure is using the heat from solar gain to slowly melt and weaken the ice below it.
   

2. Why doesn't the city just dredge out the islands near the Bailey Avenue Bridge?
   
   

   Those islands are not causing the current ice formation and problem. This situation was caused by rapid cooling of the water which created slushy "frazil" ice which adhered to the bottom of the river and built up very quickly. As mentioned earlier, the channel restriction is nearly a mile long, not simply concentrated near those "islands".
   
   Those islands have been created by the distribution of sediment in the river. It's widely believed that this situation was exacerbated when the new Bailey Avenue bridge was built. At that time, the channel was widened and a new bridge pier placed in the middle of the water. This permanently altered water and sediment flow. Dredging is a short term effort which will result in the islands reforming.
   
   Since approximately 2000, the city, along with the Agency of Natural Resources, have been pursuing installation of permanent "vane" structures to be placed in the bottom of the river. These vanes will re-direct the flow of water in the river channel. This will stabilize the river banks, erode the islands and re-deposit sediment so that the islands don't' re-form. Some of these vanes were installed a couple of years ago on a test basis and have been working well. The city presently has an active grant application at FEMA for funding for installation of more of these vanes.
   

3. Why didn't the city break up this jam as it was developing so that it didn't turn into such a threat?
   
   

   According to data provided by the National Weather Service, the average daily temperature from January 1 through January 15 of this year was 32.4 degrees Fahrenheit with average highs of 41 and lows of 23 including a 65 degree day and two days in the 50's. In mid-January there was a free flowing open river with no ice whatsoever in it. Beginning January 16th through the 31st, the average daily temperature was 7.3 degrees Fahrenheit with average highs of 17 and lows of -3.
   
   On January 15th, the average temperature was 25 degrees, two days later (the 17th) it was -2. It hit 24 on the 19th and did not exceed 15 for the rest of the month. The first report of ice jamming was on January 20th. A freeze up situation like this has never occurred before on this river and there was no reason to suspect it nor were there observable icing conditions that indicated anything other than the normal January freeze over. City officials had no way of knowing that this rapid cooling was creating sub surface ice build up.
   

4. Why doesn't the city put heavy equipment in the river to take out the ice?
   
   

   Even though the river levels are relatively low with regard to flooding, the water is still over six feet deep with flowing current * much higher than in the summer time. This creates dangerous operating conditions for a backhoe or excavator. In addition, the access points to the river are limited and steep. We would not want to have a piece of heavy equipment turned on its side in the river. We have considered doing excavation from the side of the river but need both a stable staging area and a piece of equipment with a long enough reach. Overhead power lines, traffic and private property all must be considered. As an alternative, the city has been using the crane to hammer open a flowing channel and, beginning this week, will use a clamshell attachment to the crane to lift ice out of the river.
   

5. Why hasn't the city done anything since 1992 to prevent a flood?
   
   

   The freezing that has occurred this year is a direct result of unique weather patterns. There is nothing the city, state or federal government could have done to prevent this ice formation. However, the city undertook an extensive study after the 1992 flood to develop strategies and alternatives. Since that time, ice monitoring on the river has been a very high priority activity by our emergency personnel every winter. Over the years, the city has utilized techniques such as ice cutting or "dusting" (which was done this year) to weaken ice. Every winter and ice formation pattern is slightly different. Therefore such techniques are not always necessary or useful. Since 1992 we have had many winters where ice formed, melted and cleared with no problems. The city has also pre-positioned a crane each winter so that it is ready for rapid deployment. This crane was used in 1996 when a jam formed and almost flooded.
   
   As mentioned earlier, the city and state have designed and installed vanes in the river. The city is currently pursuing additional funding for more vanes. In 1994 the city considered installation of an ice dam. At that time, however, there was significant question as to whether this structure would be sufficiently effective to justify a very, very large cost. We have re-opened consideration of this alternative. Flooding is a constant concern in Montpelier. In perspective, though, there have been 52 documented ice jams on the Winooski river in Montpelier and only one flood (1992) caused by those jams. The freeze up situation this winter is significantly different from any of those prior events.
   

6. Where should I park to keep my car safe?
   
   

   Please pay close attention to news announcements and alerts issued by the city. On days like this past weekend when the flood threat is very low, you can park where you normally would. At the end of this week you might seek some higher ground. For overnight parkers, the police department is not actively enforcing the overnight parking ban except when there are actual storm conditions. If you look at the 1992 flood map you might get some idea of city streets which did not flood and where there is legal parking. For daytime parkers, most of the parking lot behind Rite Aid did not flood in 1992 nor did the area now know as Stone Cutters Way. Parking is also available at the DET plot with Shuttle service in and out of downtown. You may also wish to utilize car pooling or use public transportation.
   

7. How will I evacuate?
   
   

   Based on experience with large crowds such as during the Independence Day celebration, the Police Department thinks it can clear the downtown area in 30-60 minutes. Given the level of monitoring that is occurring, it is possible that we will have this much lead time. If a flood occurs and you have not evacuated left, do not drive through standing water. If you are leaving you can use some of the routes indicated on published maps.
   
   Please beware, though, that March is mud season in Vermont and that the same warm temperatures and rain which might cause flooding will also wreak havoc with dirt roads. Exercise caution when planning an evacuation route, you may wish to select an longer way home that keeps you on paved roads. Most of the dirt roads in the area are not in Montpelier and therefore the city has no control over their condition. This is extremely important for those who might consider going out Terrace Street onto East Hill Road in Middlesex.
   

8. How will I get my basement pumped out if there is a flood?
   
   

   The Emergency Operations Center for the City will be coordinating the organizations and businesses that come to town after the flood with offers of pumps for this situation. There will be a cost for the pumping service, and often the flood insurance does not cover the costs associated with flooded basements.
   
   You can let the City know that you need assistance, and we will be compiling and prioritizing a list of properties that need to be pumped. The first priority will go to places that have public access, followed by private properties with no public access. The City has very limited ability to pump out basements, and the fire department pumps can only be used when we know that we are pumping clear water * if there is any chance of debris or hazardous materials being pumped, we need to have someone do it with an appropriate pumping system.
   
   You can also contract directly with a company that provides this service. We will be publishing a list of these firms to our web site, but this in no way will constitute a recommendation or endorsement of these companies. If your basement is flooded, BEFORE anyone goes down there to start work, please be sure that the power is turned off and that any hazardous or flammable materials are contained, or very serious injuries and damage could result. The best way to help insure your safety and the safety of people who are helping you is to get these types of materials out of your basement now, and to have any fuel tanks checked to make sure they will not leak.
   

9. Will you need people with boats to help evacuate buildings?
   
   

   DEFINITELY NOT. Private citizens who try to bring boats or other floating equipment downtown during the flood will be turned away and/or arrested and fined if they don't comply. Canoes, kayaks, jet skis, and small motor boats are no match for the ice and flowing water that might be present. They also put people in danger of coming into contact with hazardous materials (volatile organics, raw sewage) that could cause serious health consequences including cancer, hepatitis, and other communicable diseases. Cold water is also very dangerous; if you capsize hypothermia and death are only a few minutes away, so you could be adding to the needs for emergency response instead of helping. During the 1992 flood, the wakes from boats and heavy vehicles cause the windows to break in the downtown, so in addition to putting yourself at risk, you can increase the overall damage to downtown businesses.
   
   We have state police and other experts with the appropriate boats on call now to help with evacuation needs. Stay away from the flooded area if you are not trained emergency personnel.
   

10. How will the sandbags be removed, with or without a flood?
    
    

    The City will be bringing in a work crew from the Department of Corrections to remove the sandbags, either after the flood or the flood danger has passed. If there is no flood, the sandbags will be stockpiled for possible future use.

1. If you have a cell phone that receives text messages, we can add the e-mail address of the texting service to your phone (not the phone number) to this listserv. To get the e-mail address for your phone, contact your cell phone service provider. They typically look like this:
   
   

   18022221111@utext.com
   
   

   Once you have the address, send it to us and we'll add it to the listserv. We've heard that it's hard for people to receive the confirmation message and reply if they add it themselves on the web site, and we're happy to do it. That way, if we send a message to EVACUATE, you will receive it on your cell phone. You can also adjust your cell phone settings so that an incoming text message gets a special 'ring' to let you know it's there.
   
   
2. Cindy Blakeslee has set up another listserv that residents can use to talk to each other about what is happening. Whereas this Montpelier Alerts listserv is for announcements, not dialogue, the new one will allow all members to post messages. The address of the google group is http://groups.google.com/group/montpelier-flood-residents-communication-group. You can also find it by searching Google Groups for the Montpelier Flood Residents Communication Group. Here is what Cindy has to say about the new list:
   
   

   "I created the group to facilitate communication between Montpelier residents and others who need help or can offer resources both in the preparation for flooding and in the aftermath. I can think of two examples right off: residents who need help sandbagging in anticipation of flooding, and people who can offer help pumping out basements in the event of flooding. There are other examples such as helping with pets, driving people places, going to the store or getting gas for people, etc. which don't always fall within the purview or capacity of either the City or the Red Cross. For example, I remember during the flood of 1992, I was at the Fire House and I saw a woman bring in a generator which she was willing to loan to anyone who needed it - but at the time there was no way to advertise that it was available. The two-way nature of this group is an important feature - people can talk to each other and pass on information."

http://www.montpelier-vt.org/flood/floodprep.mov (Quicktime Movie file, 16 mins 53 secs, 12.75 MB)

1. E-mail and list serve. This system will update you on weather forecasts and prepare you to monitor the news media. You can subscribe to the list serve by going to the City's website on the flood. Its is www.Montpelier-vt.org
2. News media-we will ask local stations to provide information on the status of potential flooding as the likelihood of a flood increases.
3. The emergency broadcast system on the radio and TV. This system will be activated if flooding is imminent.
4. Sirens on city hall. The sirens will only be used as a last resort and if flooding is happening.

• If you need to leave your home with short notice, be ready to go. Make sure that everyone has a flashlight and sturdy shoes near the bed.
  
• Do you know what you are going to do if you have to leave your home? Do you know how to safely move away from flooded areas? Do you have a plan for communicating with your family? Will you stay in a shelter? Answer these questions now, not while you are leaving your home.
  
• Plan and practice a flood evacuation route with your family. Ask an out-of-town relative or friend to be the "family contact" in case your family is separated during a flood. Make sure everyone in your family knows the name, address, and phone number of this contact person.
  
• Prepare to not return home for at least 72 hours. Pack an emergency bag with a change of clothing and the following items, as appropriate:
  • Prescription medication, glasses, dentures, hearing aides and batteries and any other items appropriate for special needs;
  • Infant food and diapers, if you have young children;
  • Pet food and a way to move the pet, if you have a pet; Corrina Jordan, who lives in Montpelier, has generously volunteered to help people find temporary homes for their pets. You can contact her at 223-2574, 223-3875, or writecorrina@yahoo.com.
  • Special documents, including shot records (when was your last tetanus shot?)

• Secure items that could fall and cause damage or injury during a disaster, such as the water heater, refrigerator, book shelves, and other tall and heavy furniture.
• Tie down oil or gas tanks. Cover vent pipes. Secure fill pipes.
• If necessary, change the placement of furniture and household items to make the house safer. For example, don't place beds under windows or heavy objects over beds; keep exit routes clear; move heavy items to lower shelves or drawers; and remove or isolate flammable materials. Move grills and their propane tanks out of the reach of flood waters.
• Install clips, latches, or other locking devices on cabinet doors.
• Provide strong support and flexible connections on gas appliances.

• DO NOT ignore an evacuation order.
• If we can, emergency service personnel will direct you to leave if you are in a low-lying area, or within the greatest potential path of the rising waters.
• If you see rising water that presents a risk to your home-leave, move away from the flood.

• Take only essential items with you
• If you have time, turn off the gas, electricity, and water.
• Disconnect appliances to prevent electrical shock when power is restored.
• Follow the designated evacuation routes and expect traffic.
• Do not attempt to drive or walk across creeks or flooded roads.
• Follow directions from emergency service personnel.

• Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars causing loss of control and possible stalling.
• A foot of water will float many vehicles.
• Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles including sport utility vehicles (SUV's) and pick-ups.
  

• Flood Watch:

  Flooding is possible. Tune in to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for information.
  

• Flash Flood Watch:

  Flash flooding is possible. Be prepared to move to higher ground; listen to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for information.
  

• Flood Warning:

  Flooding is occurring or will occur soon; if advised to evacuate, do so immediately.
  

• Flash Flood Warning:

  A flash flood is occurring; seek higher ground on foot immediately.

1. Both new river gauges are in and functioning fine. They are linked and available for viewing on the Flood Monitoring page of the City's website.
2. Evacuation routes out of the City and possible routes away from the City are also now available on the web site in the flood section. They are in a PDF format and can be printed from your computer: http://www.montpelier-vt.org/flood/MontpelierEvacuationRtes.pdf
3. The latest information from the National Weather Service is indicating we'll be below normal temperatures for much of this week. By the weekend into early next week, we'll be trending back toward normal, which is highs in the 30s, and lows in the teens. This pattern will also give us periodic quick shots of precipitation from "clipper systems". These types of systems typically don't put down a lot of moisture, which is good because we don't need to add any more to the snow pack. There are some signs that we'll have a cool down to below normal again (although not this bitterly cold) about 10 days out, which puts us into mid March.
4. The extreme cold weather may delay the pumping of treated wastewater into the Winooski until Friday. This is water that is already being placed in the river but will be done at a permitted location with the hopes of melting the ice from below.
5. Dusting, a process of putting dark organic material on the ice may begin as early as Thursday. City staff continues to work on firming up shelter activity and working with state and federal officials to better understand conditions as they change. We are also trying to identify all the possible notification systems that exist to let people know about flooding conditions.

https://webcam.crrel.usace.army.mil/montpelier/

Since last week’s council meeting:

• Ice monitoring devices have been installed on the river. Readings are being received in live time and are posted on the web in two hour increments. Access is currently restricted to certain officials to prevent potential hacking. We are setting up a “mirror” web site so that these readings can be viewed by anyone at any time.

• A meeting was held yesterday morning with many involved agencies including the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), the Army Corps of Engineers, Vermont Emergency Management, FEMA, Department of Buildings and General Services, Agency of Natural Resources River Management Division, Red Cross, Town of Berlin, National Weather Service, Washington County Sheriff, State Police, Governor’s office and City of Montpelier Police, Fire and Public Works. This meeting was to review the current status, talk about present and anticipated weather conditions, and review, again, possible mitigation/prevention activities.

• The National Weather Service is forecasting at least two more weeks of colder temperatures which will not lead to rapid thaw and ice break up. This allows some time for other techniques to work. We are concerned about the impact of a possible 6 to12 inch snow storm later this week, not only on the water load but also on the DPW crew and equipment capacity.

• As a result of that meeting, the City is beginning the following operations:

1) As soon as tomorrow we will be flowing water from fire hydrants into the river. This water has higher temperature than the river and ice and will serve as a warming agent. Locations will be selected based on advice from CRREL and locations of hydrants. In the lower area of the river, fire hoses will be use to establish or widen channels of water moving through.

2) We have begun steps to temporarily pump, pipe and permit the relocation of the sewer plant discharge from its current location at the Dog River to a new site directly into the Winooski. This will provide 1.3 million gallons per day of warmer water into one of the icier areas. We expect this to be up and running by next week

3) We are preparing to begin a “dusting” operation next week. This involves blowing darker material on top of the snow/ice cover of the river to attract solar gain and heat up the surface. This is particularly effective on sheet ice, less so on frazil ice but we are going to try it anyway. We will use snow blowers to deliver a dark product, possibly mixed with salt. The product will either be dark stone, sand, ash or something like that. We’re looking into what works best with the equipment, what is available etc.

4) We are assembling a ready list of available heavy equipment (excavators mostly) and thinking about locations for possible deployment. We are advised not to attempt serious ice removal or channel widening right now but will mobilize equipment if conditions indicate that risk is rising.

5) We are holding an Emergency Planning Meeting this afternoon with many of the state and service agencies who attended yesterday’s meeting. This is for the purpose of pre-planning and coordinating specific response efforts in the event that a flood does occur.

6) We are assembling a master contact list and will begin regular updates to that list starting next week. This will include weather forecasts, river readings, progress on operations and any other information. These will also be posted to the city’s web site.

7) We are continuing as much public education and outreach as possible. Yesterday the Savoy Theater showed the video documentary of the 1992 flood. Chief Hoyt attended to answer questions. Todd Law and I were unable to attend because we were meeting with Jeffrey Jacobs’ property managers to discuss flood preparation issues.

8) This morning we submitted an application to FEMA for a flood mitigation grant to install vanes in the river as designed by Dubois & King. This is a total project cost of $325,000 for which there is a 25% local share or $81,250. If the application is successful we will finance the local contribution through some combination of reallocating capital plan priorities, use of fund balance and financial assistance from the state.

9) We are developing a public notification plan. This will have several stages - the first when predicted weather conditions look like they could cause problems, the second when indicators tell us that the river is rising and looking suspicious and the third when actually flooding has begun or is imminent. We will communicate this plan through our master contact list, the web and the press.

10) We are preparing maps showing alternate vehicle routes out of town.

• People should monitor weather reports and pay heed to flood watches and warnings. The worse case weather scenario is four more weeks of cold weather followed by rapid thaw and a heavy downpour of warm rain.
  
  
• Basements and low areas of buildings should be cleared of any valuable inventory, goods or records. It has been 15 years since the flood of 1992. There are new owners, residents, and businesses in the city who may not be fully aware of the importance of keeping things out of harms way.
  
  
• Furnaces, oil tanks, gas tanks etc. should be checked to assure that they are properly secured. Whenever possible, buildings with areas that have water entry should be protected with sandbags or something similar. In the event a flood does occur – if safely possible electrical boxes and furnaces should turned off before a building is evacuated.
  
  
• Buildings in high risk areas are eligible for Flood insurance. Building owners should consider purchasing this as soon as possible. There is now a 30 day period before such insurance becomes effective. Information on the flood insurance program is available at City Hall or through the Vermont Emergency Management Agency. It should be noted that flood insurance covers damage to buildings but not necessarily contents. Residents and businesses should review their insurance plans to have a clear understanding of what may and may not be covered.
  
  
• Building and business owners should be sure that they have current emergency contact information for their employees, vendors, contractors etc. They should also provide the city with their own current emergency contact information.