More flooding hits Vermont with washed-out roads, smashed vehicles and destroyed homes

LYNDON, Vt. (AP) — Thunderstorms and torrential rain brought another wave of violent floods Tuesday that caved in roads, crushed vehicles, pushed homes off their foundations and led to dramatic boat rescues in northeastern Vermont, nearly three weeks after flooding from Hurricane Beryl.

Flash flood warnings remained in effect through Tuesday afternoon hours after some areas got 6 to more than 8 inches (15 to more than 20 centimeters) starting late the night before.

In Lyndonville, a village about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northeast of Montpelier, the state capital, Deryck Colburn said he awoke before daybreak to a neighbor pounding on his door. Colburn said he heard the same surge of rushing water from an overflowing brook that he’d heard earlier in July, along with the unnerving sound of tumbling boulders carried by the water.

“I went down the road to her house, and there was no road. There was just a river,” he said.

The fresh flooding yielded similar scenes of catastrophe to the flooding weeks earlier, but on a smaller scale. Cars and trucks were smashed and covered in mud; several homes were destroyed and pushed downstream; utility poles and power lines were knocked down; and asphalt roads yielded to cliffs in spots where roadbeds were carved away.

Most of the rain fell in the Lyndon and Lyndonville areas, and in St. Johnsbury, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) south. Police issued a “shelter in place” advisory Tuesday morning for St. Johnsbury, a town of about 6,000 people. At least 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) of rain fell farther north in area of Morgan, which is near the Canada border.

Mark Bosma, a spokesperson for the Vermont Emergency Management Agency, said swift water rescue teams in boats conducted approximately two dozen rescues in the dark in the hardest-hit areas late Monday and early Tuesday.

Some neighbors had to rescue themselves.

In Lyndonville, Jason Pilbin said he woke up at about 2:30 a.m. to boulders rolling down the road, propelled by heavy floodwaters. He went outside with a headlamp and flashlight to help some neighbors evacuate and then collected their vital medications about 20 minutes before the house broke in half. Then he woke up another neighbor and helped her exit her home, as well.

Pilbin said he was relieved to be able to help neighbors this time after watching helplessly as a man drowned in floodwaters earlier this month. “Unfortunately I wasn't able to save him, but I was able to save these" people, Pilbin said. “I guess that makes up for some of it. It's been rough.”

There were no immediate reports of serious injuries or deaths for this round of flooding.

In St. Johnsbury, Vanessa Allen said she knew there was a possibility of rain, but wasn’t counting on the excessive amount.

“This is devastating and was completely unexpected,” she said. “I had no idea this was coming.”

Her home was situated between two road washouts, so she was unable to leave. The roads were pockmarked and covered in debris. Nearby, she said, a house was off its foundation and blocking a road.

“It looks apocalyptic. There are huge craters. ... And the water is still rushing down the road now,” she said at midday. “It’s just all unbelievable how bad the roads are. We’re trapped. We can’t go anywhere.”

The state experienced major flooding earlier in July from the tail end of Hurricane Beryl. The flooding destroyed roads and bridges and inundated farms. It came exactly a year after a previous bout of severe flooding hit Vermont and several other states.

Vermont has experienced four flooding events in the last year, due to a combination of climate change and the state’s mountainous geography, said Peter Banacos, science and operations officer with the weather service. Greater rainfall have made the state and its steep terrain more susceptible to flooding, he said.

The state’s soil has also been more frequently saturated, and that increases the possibility of flooding, Bancos said.

Vermont’s history of heavily manipulating its rivers and streams also plays a role in increased flooding, said Julie Moore, secretary of the state Agency of Natural Resources. Increased flooding is “a reflection of having reached our limits of being able to truly manage rivers and hold them in place,” she continued.

Roads, bridges, culverts and wastewater facilities are all especially vulnerable, Moore said. The state is in the midst of a multidecade effort to “replace them or refurbish them with our current and future climate in mind,” Moore said.

Vermont is also working to establish statewide floodplain standards.

In Lyndonville, Colburn said some of his neighbors’ homes on his road “washed away” during this storm but that the occupants were rescued. The emergency management agency did not have further information.

“The last storm was a wake-up call,” he said of the flooding earlier this month. “I thought I would never see anything like that again. I don’t think that holds a candle to this. Not even close.”

“There’s a lot of broken hearts,” he added.

__

Sharp reported from Portland, Maine. McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire. Reporters Patrick Whittle in Maine and Julie Walker in New York also contributed to this story.

A damaged car sits amid flood debris in Lyndon, Vt., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitry Belyakov)

In this photo provided by the Lyndonville Fire Department, damaged homes sit alongside a river in Lyndonville, Vt., after flash floods hit the area, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Lyndonville Fire Chief Jeff Carrow via AP)

In this photo provided by the Lyndonville Fire Department, damaged homes sit alongside a river in Lyndonville, Vt., after flash floods hit the area, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Lyndonville Fire Chief Jeff Carrow via AP)

Zac Drown, of Lyndon Electric Company, clears debris amid flood damage in Lyndon, Vt., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitry Belyakov)

A damaged car sits amid flood debris in Lyndon, Vt., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitry Belyakov)

Zac Drown, of Lyndon Electric Company, clears debris amid flood damage in Lyndon, Vt., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitry Belyakov)

Workers clear debris amid flood damage in Lyndon, Vt., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitry Belyakov)

Residents walk barefoot away from flood damage in Lyndon, Vt., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitry Belyakov)

Zac Drown, of Lyndon Electric Company, clears debris amid flood damage in Lyndon, Vt., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitry Belyakov)

A damaged house sits on a ledge after flooding in Lyndonville, Vt., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Nick Perry)

Trees and debris sit near a damaged home after flooding in Lyndonville, Vt., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Nick Perry)

Trees and debris sit next to a damaged home after flooding in Lyndonville, Vt., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Nick Perry)

A damaged house sits on a ledge after flooding in Lyndonville, Vt., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Nick Perry)

Trees and debris sit next to a damaged home after flooding in Lyndonville, Vt., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Nick Perry)

A crew works on a damaged roadway following flooding in Lyndonville, Vt., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Nick Perry)

A crew works on a damaged roadway after flooding in Lyndonville, Vt., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Nick Perry)

In this image taken from video provided by Deryck Colburn, floods triggered by heavy rain wash out a road in Lyndonville, Vt., during an extreme weather event that led to about two dozen rescues in northern Vermont Tuesday, July 30, 2024, nearly three weeks after many farmers and residents in the state were hit by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl. (Deryck Colburn via AP)

In this image taken from video provided by Deryck Colburn, floods triggered by heavy rain wash out a road in Lyndonville, Vt., during an extreme weather event that led to about two dozen rescues in northern Vermont Tuesday, July 30, 2024, nearly three weeks after many farmers and residents in the state were hit by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl. (Deryck Colburn via AP)

In this image taken from video provided by Deryck Colburn, floods triggered by heavy rain wash out a road in Lyndonville, Vt., during an extreme weather event that led to about two dozen rescues in northern Vermont Tuesday, July 30, 2024, nearly three weeks after many farmers and residents in the state were hit by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl. (Deryck Colburn via AP)

An all-terrain vehicle drives along a damaged roadway after flooding in Lyndonville, Vt., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Nick Perry)

An all-terrain vehicle drives along a damaged roadway after flooding in Lyndonville, Vt., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Nick Perry)

Damage from flash floods is seen on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in St. Johnsbury, Vt. Heavy rain has washed out some roads and led to about two dozen rescues in northern Vermont, nearly three weeks after many farmers and residents in the state were hit by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl. (Vanessa Allen via AP)

Damage from flash floods is seen on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in St. Johnsbury, Vt. Heavy rain has washed out some roads and led to about two dozen rescues in northern Vermont, nearly three weeks after many farmers and residents in the state were hit by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl. (Vanessa Allen via AP)

Damage from flash floods are seen on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in St. Johnsbury, Vt. Heavy rain has washed out some roads and led to about two dozen rescues in northern Vermont, nearly three weeks after many farmers and residents in the state were hit by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl. (Vanessa Allen via AP)

In this screen shot of a National Weather Service alert for a flash flood emergency is shown on a phone near St. Johnsbury, Vt., Tuesday, July 30, 2024. Heavy rain has washed out some roads and led to about two dozen rescues in northern Vermont, nearly three weeks after many farmers and residents in the state were hit by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)

Damage from flash floods are seen on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in St. Johnsbury, Vt. Heavy rain has washed out some roads and led to about two dozen rescues in northern Vermont, nearly three weeks after many farmers and residents in the state were hit by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl. (Vanessa Allen via AP)

Damage from flash floods are seen on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in St. Johnsbury, Vt. Heavy rain has washed out some roads and led to about two dozen rescues in northern Vermont, nearly three weeks after many farmers and residents in the state were hit by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl. (Vanessa Allen via AP)

A road is closed in St. Johnsbury, Vermont after flooding in the region, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. Heavy rain has washed out some roads and led to about two dozen rescues in northern Vermont, nearly three weeks after many farmers and residents in the state were hit by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl. The National Weather Service in Burlington says some areas got 6 to 8 inches of rain starting late Monday and saw flash flooding. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The German government says it is cracking down on irregular migration and crime following recent extremist attacks, and plans to extend temporary border controls to all nine of its frontiers next week.

Last month, a deadly knife attack by a Syrian asylum-seeker in Soligen killed three people. The perpetrator claimed to be inspired by the Islamic State group. In June, a knife attack by an Afghan immigrant left a police officer dead and four other people wounded.

The border closures are set to last six months and are threatening to test European unity. Most of Germany's neighbors are fellow members of the European Union, a 27-country bloc based on the principles of free trade and travel. And Germany — the EU’s economic motor in the heart of Europe — shares more borders with other countries than any other member state.

The Polish prime minister on Tuesday denounced the closures as “unacceptable” and Austria said it won't accept migrants rejected by Germany.

Here's a look at some of the issues:

The EU bloc has a visa-free travel area known as Schengen that allows citizens of most EU countries to travel easily across borders for work and pleasure. Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland also belong to Schengen even though they are not EU members.

According to the EU, member states are allowed to temporarily reintroduce controls at the EU’s so-called internal borders in case of a serious threat, such as one to internal security. But it also says border controls should be applied as a last resort in exceptional situations, and must be time-limited.

Such limitations are often put in place during major sporting events, including the recent Olympic Games in Paris and the European soccer championship this summer.

Nine countries border Germany and all are part of Schengen. Germany already imposed restrictions last year at its borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland.

Germany's Interior Ministry on Monday ordered the extension of checks at those borders, as well as controls at borders with France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the aim was to limit irregular migration and protect the nation from “the acute dangers posed by Islamist terrorism and serious crime.”

The government and many Germans welcomed refugees fleeing conflicts in Syria and elsewhere from 2015-16, when more than 1 million asylum-seekers entered the country.

But as large-scale migration to Europe continues nearly a decade later, a backlash is fueling the growth of far-right parties.

Some people say social services are overwhelmed, and extremist attacks by asylum-seekers have led to security fears. It has added up to growing support for firmer immigration policies — and in some cases, backing for the far-right parties that champion such limits.

The unpopular coalition government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz is trying to crack down on irregular immigration after the far right did well in two recent state elections in eastern Germany. Another comes Sept. 22 in Brandenburg, the state surrounding Berlin.

As the EU's largest economy, Germany is a key trading partner for neighbors. The interior ministry's announcement has prompted economic worries for the main Dutch transportation lobby group, the Dutch Association for Transport and Logistics. It said the decision was undermining the Schengen principle of free trade and it fears major economic damage.

At home, Germany's DSLV logistics and freight association urged a selective approach that would spare trucks moving goods across borders — which would mirror what occurred during the European soccer championships. Those checks avoided economic disruptions because officials focused on individuals and not trucks, the association said.

Dirk Jandura, the president of the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services, said in an statement to The Associated Press that restrictions on the free movement of people “always mean delays and thus cost increases for the economy and especially for wholesale and foreign trade.”

He added: "However, if migration policy findings require restrictive measures, then this is understandable. For us, it is important to implement the measures with a sense of proportion.”

The ruling conservative government in Austria — which is facing a tight race against the far-right party in an election this month — says it will not accept refugees who are turned back from Germany.

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told reporters that Germany has the right to send people back if another EU country is responsible for their asylum application. But that would require a formal procedure and the consent of the member state concerned.

Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called Germany's plan “unacceptable" and called for urgent consultations by all countries affected. Poland has struggled with a migration crisis on its border with Belarus since 2021. Warsaw accuses Belarus and Russia of luring migrants from the Middle East and Africa there to destabilize the West.

Agnieszka Łada-Konefał, deputy director of the German Institute of Polish Affairs, said random checks at the German-Polish border create traffic jams that make it more difficult for people to cross for work and discourage Germans from shopping in Poland. Poles also argue that Germany first introduced a policy of openness to refugees but is now pushing them back to Poland.

“Due to the negative perception of the influx of migrants in Poland, any report of migrants being returned by Germany also negatively affects Polish-German relations and Germany’s image in Poland,” Łada-Konefał told the AP.

But in the Netherlands, where the anti-immigration Party for Freedom won last year's election, the minister for asylum and migration pledged to step up Dutch border controls as well.

Slovenia, Austria and Italy also have extended temporary border controls in some areas or all along their frontiers.

Associated Press writers Mike Corder in Amsterdam, David McHugh in Frankfurt and Philipp Jenne in Vienna contributed to this report.

Follow AP migration coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/migration

FILE - A border pole in German national colours marking the German border with Poland at the river Oder near the city Lebus, Germany, Oct. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)

FILE - A Federal Police officer escorts a group of migrants who illegally crossed the border from Poland into Germany during a patrol in a forest near Forst, southeast of Berlin, Germany, Oct. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)

FILE - Federal Police officer Frank Malack looks at the belongings of migrants who illegally crossed the border from Poland into Germany during a patrol in a forest near Forst, southeast of Berlin, Germany, Oct. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)

FILE - German federal police officers check a van at the Austrian-German border crossing point in Kiefersfelden, Germany, Oct. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)