Major flooding hits Northeast US

Catastrophic flooding caused by torrential rainfall over the last two days has hit Northeast US, engulfing areas in New York's Hudson Valley and flooding Vermont's capital city Montpelier.

Officials in Montpelier lifted an emergency order on Tuesday that had closed downtown Montpelier as they monitored the level in a nearby dam that threatened to spill over into the city.

Slow-moving storms inundated western New England and parts of upstate New York with floodwater on Sunday and Monday, forcing hundreds to evacuate their homes and stranding motorists on a closed Vermont interstate overnight. The rain moved out of the Northeast on Tuesday.

Rescuers sought to reach people stranded in remote mountain towns across the Green Mountain state. At least 117 people had been rescued from flooded cars and homes by noon on Tuesday, Vermont officials said. No deaths were reported.

New York State reported one death on Sunday in Orange County, north of New York City. Rescue teams found the body of a woman in her 30s who drowned after being swept away while trying to evacuate her house, The Associated Press reported.

Communities across the Hudson Valley region were dealing with damage to roads, bridges, rail lines and private property.

"The amount of water is extraordinary, and it's still a very dangerous situation," New York Governor Kathy Hochul said. She declared a state of emergency for Ontario Town and Orange County.

In Vermont, some people could not be reached by boat, and authorities said helicopters were sent to airlift stranded residents from floodwaters. "The devastation and flooding we're experiencing across Vermont is historic and catastrophic," Vermont Governor Phil Scott said at a news conference.

Second-highest record

The Winooski River running through Montpelier surpassed the levels it had reached in August 2011 as Tropical Storm Irene hit the state, reaching 6.5 meters — the second-highest on record.

Out-of-state rescue crews and state troopers were also participating in the rescue operation. Shelters were opened across Vermont for displaced residents.

"This is going to be a very long-term search-and-rescue operation," said Michael Cannon, program manager for the state's urban search and rescue team. "I expect this to take at least several days if not longer."

Montpelier city officials said the flooding may have compromised the city's drinking water. They issued a boil-water notice for the city's 8,000 residents. Officials said the nearby Wrightsville Dam was in danger of overflowing and releasing more water into the city and threatening evacuation routes.

Brown water from the Winooski had obscured vehicles and all but the tops of parking meters along picturesque streets lined with brick storefronts that had flooded basements and lower floors. Some residents slogged their way through waist-high water on Tuesday, while others canoed and kayaked along main streets to survey the scene.

Bryan Pfeiffer canoed around downtown to check out the damage and was appalled by what he saw. The basement of every building — including the one where he works — and the lower levels of most were inundated. Even the city's fire station was flooded. "It's really troubling when your fire station is under water," Pfeiffer said.

Similar scenes played out in neighboring Barre and Bridgewater, where the Ottauquechee River spilled its banks.

The Wrightsville Dam, which forms a reservoir 6.4 kilometers north of Montpelier, neared the point at which a spillway would need to release water into the north branch of the Winooski River, city officials said.

Agencies contributed to this story.