A loader dumps dirt along a washed out portion of Mill Street after remnants of Hurricane Beryl caused flooding and destruction, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt.
There are roughly 90,000 significant dams in the U.S. At least 4,000 are in poor or unsatisfactory condition and could kill people or only harm the environment if they failed, according to data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. TheyAugust Thompson walks over the washed out remains of the road in front of his grandfather's home after remnants of Hurricane Beryl caused flooding and destruction in Plainfield, Vt.
The storms last year led to a rapid inspection of all the state's dams, with more than $1.5 million spent to stabilize and repair storm damage. Julie Moore, secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, said during a news conference Friday that inspections found that Winooski River Valley flood control reservoir “continue to do their job well” and that levels at the Waterbury Reservoir “are stabilizing with plenty of storage remaining.” Those dams and the East Barre Dam are critical to flood control in an area that stretches from Barre to Essex.