WASHINGTON – Extreme weather continues to sweep much of the United States, with severe flooding in the Northeast and scorching temperatures blanketing much of the West and South.
In Vermont, more than 50 people were rescued Monday night and Tuesday morning in what’s being described as a once-in-a-thousand-years flooding event.
Many mountain towns are inaccessible and the state’s capital city, Montpelier, is shut down from all the water.
Rescue crews from across the country are racing there to help in those rescues.
“Our infrastructure transportation line over the mountains, all those transportation lines for two-thirds of the state are cut off right now,” explained Mike Cannon with Vermont Urban Search and Rescue. “So our teams have to transverse those mountain ranges coming up from the south and working up north.”
A flooded Main Street, July 10, 2023, in Highland Falls, N.Y. Heavy rain has washed out roads and forced evacuations in the Northeast. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
In New York, a woman in the town of Highland Falls died trying to escape her home.
“The young lady that passed away just got caught up with it,” said Steve Neuhaus, an Orange County executive. “She and her family tried to evacuate their house. She crossed with a pet and lost her footing and unfortunately was washed down into a ravine.”
Some parts of New York City received a summer’s worth of rain in just six hours.
On the West Coast, landslides are tearing apart homes on southern California’s Palos Verdes Peninsula.
They’re also dealing with extreme heat out West and in the South with millions of Americans facing triple-digit temperatures.
El Paso, Texas has seen 25 consecutive days of 100-plus degrees.
Miami, Florida has dealt with 100-plus degrees for 30 consecutive days.
There’s also an ocean heat wave, pushing water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico into the mid-90s.
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