Multi-Faceted Storm Brings Strong Winds, Heavy Rain and Possible River Flooding
21 December 2018
COLCHESTER, Vt. – Green Mountain Power is reminding customers about safety with minor to moderate flooding in the forecast. The National Weather Service has all parts of Vermont under Flood Watches and Warnings through Saturday afternoon, with up to 2.5 inches of rain expected in some locations. The storm blew into Vermont late Thursday night bringing strong winds and scattered power outages. Warmer temperatures combined with snow melt add to forecasters concerns.
“Safety is our priority and we are prepared. The amount of rain and snow melt forecasted is unusual and more like what we see during a typical January thaw,” said Jason Lisai, GMP’s Director of Generation Operations. “We watch the forecasts closely and have been making preparations for days. We are ready to respond to changing conditions.”
The National Weather Service says flooding is likely on multiple rivers with localized flooding and minor ice jams possible.
GMP is reminding customers to be careful around all waterways and that there can be extra hazards around hydroelectric facilities, where water conditions can change quickly. Some potential hazards include:
- Currents both above and below dams can be strong and unpredictable.
- Spillways in by-pass areas can operate but may not visible from your location.
- Discharges can be sudden from dam gates and remote operations
- Surfaces around dams can be slippery and uneven, leading to falls in steep areas adjacent to flowing water.
- Ice jams can cause rapid rise of waters and could lead to road closures.
- Please do not drive through flooded roadways.
GMP operates 36 hydro plants around the state, which provide clean, reliable power to customers. Learn more about GMP’s hydro power.
Vermont Emergency Management flooding info and tips.
About Green Mountain Power
Green Mountain Power (GMP) serves approximately 265,000 residential and business customers in Vermont and is partnering with them to improve lives and transform communities. GMP is focused on a new way of doing business to meet the needs of customers with integrated energy services that help people use less energy and save money, while continuing to generate clean, cost-effective and reliable power in Vermont. GMP was the only utility named to Fast Company’s 2018 list of Most Innovative Companies for Energy and is the first utility in the world to get a B Corp certification, meeting rigorous social, environmental, accountability and transparency standards and committing to use business as a force for good. J.D. Power’s 2018 rankings also put GMP among top utilities for customer satisfaction.
Kristin Kelly, Green Mountain Power
(802) 318-0872
[email protected]