Vermont Ski Towns Devastated by Massive Flooding

This article originally appeared on Ski Mag

As videos emerge of main streets that have morphed into raging rivers, leaving swirling pools of rocks and mud at every intersection, it's become clear that these last few days of storms will rival 2011’s Tropical Storm Irene, which caused $6 million in damages and took years for resorts and local businesses to recover from. in the Northeast. Meteorologists are likening the weather events of the last few days to a “1,000-year flood.”

In Ludlow, home to Okemo Mountain Resort, the consensus is that the current flooding is even more severe than Irene. Okemo Mountain Safety Attendant Sammy Blanchette told Fox Weather that the damage is so surreal all across the town and on the mountain as well.

"There's a beginner carpet that looks like it might have suffered some damage near the top, there's major mud and sand accumulation around the base areas," he reported. "I don't know about water getting into the base lodge buildings ... There's a lot more that's going to be discovered in the next few days."

In town, beloved locally-owned shops and cafes are underwater, and there's more moisture expected throughout the week. In some parts of the state, nine inches of rain has fallen since Sunday. Vermont averages around four inches of rain in July.

Images coming out of Londonderry, where Magic Mountain is located, are startling. Floodwater flowed through downtown like a river, and drone images show most of the town’s roads filled with mud. The ski resort shared photos on social media of deteriorating base village walkways and giant pools of rocks and mud near the slopes. "Before it gets better, it's gonna get worse," the resort posted to its Twitter account on Monday.

All summer activities at most Vermont ski resorts remain closed due to the weather, including at Okemo, Killington, and Mount Snow.

As they showed the world throughout and after the Irene disaster, however, residents of the Green Mountain state don’t back down from a challenge. "If there's anyone who can bounce back from this it's Vermonters," said Okemo's Blanchette. "They're some of the most resilient people I’ve ever met in my life."

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