Flooding in the US: Dam threatens to burst

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The Wrightsville Dam in the state of Vermont has reached its capacity limit and could break in a worst-case scenario, local authorities warned Tuesday (local time), according to media reports.

“The devastation and flooding we are witnessing throughout Vermont is historic and catastrophic,” said Governor Phil Scott. The flooding has been compared to the effects of Hurricane Irene in 2011.

capital under water

Vermont’s capital, Montpelier, was particularly hard hit, with much of downtown flooded. The photos included kayakers paddling down a flooded road. Meanwhile, rescue and clean-up efforts in the flooded areas continued.

In neighboring New York state, the death of a woman was reported Monday as a result of the unusually heavy rains. The 30-year-old drowned in Orange County while trying to escape with her dog from a house surrounded by water, a county spokesman said. The region around the Hudson River, which leads to New York City, was particularly affected.

Heat wave rolls towards US

The flood coincides with a number of other extreme weather events in North America and around the world. Canada is experiencing an unprecedented wildfire season, with thick clouds of smoke covering even some major US cities such as New York and Chicago.

In addition, a heat wave is rolling towards the southwest of the US – in the Arizona city of Phoenix, temperatures of almost 50 degrees are feared. Scientists blame the man-made climate crisis on the increased occurrence of extreme weather events.

Source: Blick