Record-shattering flooding is occurring along Lake Champlain in Vermont, NewYork and Quebec. The flooding may continue for weeks and will continue toimpact far more than recreational activities and ferry crossings through thespring.The combination of runoff from melting snow early this spring and, morerecently, heavy rain has Lake Champlain at record levels. The effects of heavysnow over the winter and a "slow" spring are hitting home. Burlington, Vt., hasreceived over 9 inches of rain since April 1, which is three times their normalrainfall for the period.
Lake level records date back to at least the middle 1800s along Champlain, andthis flood eclipses them all. More homes and roads were at risk of beingdestroyed in the region. While additional storms producing heavy rain do noappear on the maps just yet, even modest rainfall events can slow the recessionof lake waters.
Story by AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski
