Even ‘Climate Havens’ Aren’t Safe from Climate Change
In pastoral Vermont, once considered a climate refuge, increasingly erratic weather is devastating communities.
During a two-day deluge last summer, Vermont experienced record-setting floods. The Great Vermont Flood of July 2023 was the worst natural disaster here since Tropical Storm Irene hit in 2011.
One year to the day after that, we were hit with another round of catastrophic flooding from the remains of Hurricane Beryl. The dams held, but some farmers lost their crops and thousands of birds and animals. Again. Homes and businesses were destroyed. Roads were washed out. People died.
Governor Phil Scott had just given an emotional speech the day before, touching on the anniversary and the work that remained to be done.
“In closing, we can clearly say that more frequent and more severe storms are our new normal. The flooding last year brought back into focus our need to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to catastrophic disturbances. And the looming forecast of Beryl is providing a poignant reminder that there is no time to waste. …
“In the context of a changing climate — one in which we are seeing more severe storms more often, extended periods of drought, heat waves both…
