Well before it was warm enough to plant seedlings in the ground, farmer Micah Barritt began nursing crops like watermelon, eggplant and tomatoes — eventually transplanting them from his greenhouse into rich Vermont soil, hoping for a bountiful fall harvest.
Within a few hours, those hopes were washed away earlier this month when floodwaters inundated the small farm, destroying a harvest with a value he estimated at $250,000. He still hopes to replant short-season crops like mustard greens, spinach, bok choy and kale.
“The loss of the crops is a very tangible way to measure the flood, but the loss of the work is hard to measure,” said Barritt, one of five co-owners of Diggers’ Mirth Collective Farm in Burlington, Vermont. “We’re all grieving and heartbroken because of this.”
Melanie Guild, development director of Intervale Community Farm, holds a bouquet July 17 of mud-covered flowers, part of the crops destroyed when floodwaters spilled onto the 360-acre farm in Burlington, Vt.
That heartbreak was felt by farmers in several Northeast states after floods dealt a devastating blow at the worst possible time — when many plants were too early to harvest, but are now too late to replant in the region’s abbreviated growing season.
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Storms dumped up to two months’ worth of rain over a couple of days in parts of the region, surpassing the amount that fell when Tropical Storm Irene blew through in 2011, causing major flooding. Officials have called the flooding Vermont’s worst natural disaster since floods in 1927.
Atmospheric scientists say floods occurring in different parts of the world are fueled by climate change, with storms forming in a warmer atmosphere, making extreme rainfall more frequent. The additional warming scientists predict is coming will only make it worse.
Floodwaters remain on destroyed fields July 17 at the Intervale Community Farm in Burlington, Vt.
Diggers’ Mirth is one of seven commercial organic farms located at the Intervale Center, according to Melanie Guild, development director of the center, which manages 350 acres in the heart of Burlington.
Operators of the center, located near the Winooski River, have long been aware of the threat of flooding. As the forecast called for heavy rains, the center reached out to hundreds of volunteers to harvest as much as possible.
“This is smack dab in the middle of the growing season so anything that was ready to harvest was pulled. Whatever was left was lost,” Guild said. “There were cabbages just floating around in the flood.”
Melanie Guild, development director of Intervale Community Farm, holds a bouquet of mud-covered flowers July 17 in Burlington, Vt.
All seven farms were washed out. Losses will likely run higher than Irene, where losses tallied about $750,000, she said.
Not all farms that suffered losses grew vegetables or flowers.
The Maple Wind Farm in Richmond, Vermont, which produces pasture-raised animals, was also struck.
Beth Whiting, who owns the farm with her husband, said even with predicted heavy rains they assumed their turkeys would be OK because they’d never seen flooding reach the area where they kept the birds.
Then at about 3:30 a.m. on July 10, the nearby Winooski River crested higher than they’d ever imagined, Whiting said. Workers in a canoe were able to rescue about 120 of 500 turkeys. Workers also saved about 1,600 chickens, but lost 700 at a second farm.
Floodwaters remain on destroyed fields, at rear, as a sign informs visitors July 17 that “Farming Takes Time” at the Intervale Community Farm in Burlington, Vt.
“We had no idea the flood was going to be so dramatic,” she said.
The flooding forced many farmers into tough choices, according to Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts. Dairy farmers who found roads to processing plants impassable were forced to dump milk.
Another problem is the loss of corn, a key source of food for the dairy industry. Thousands of acres were completely or partially underwater or flattened and unusable, he said. Flower farms were also destroyed.
“Some blueberry bushes are under water. That is very important for pick-your-own operations. Once produce is underwater it can’t be used,” he said.
Floodwaters destroyed fields in July at the Intervale Community Farm in Burlington, Vt.
As of Friday, about 200 Vermont farmers had reported more than 9,400 acres in crop damage, Tebbetts said.
In Massachusetts, at least 75 farms have been hurt by flooding, with about 2,000 acres in crop losses at a minimum value of $15 million, according to the state Department of Agricultural Resources. That number is expected to climb as more damage is assessed and longer-term impacts set in.
In Connecticut, Bryan Hurlburt, the state’s agriculture commissioner, said the flooding impacted about 2,000 acres of farmland, much of it in the Connecticut River valley.
The flooding is part of a larger environmental crisis, according to Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont.
A zinnia flower stem rises nearly undamaged from floodwaters July 17 at the Intervale Community Farm in Burlington, Vt.
“Look behind us,” Lamont said, speaking in front of a flooded farmer’s field in Glastonbury. “We were irrigating that a couple of months ago, desperate for water in the middle of a drought. And today it’s Lake Wobegon. And so what do you do?”
Kate Ahearn, who runs Fair Weather Growers along the Connecticut River in Rocky Hill, said the floodwaters took a heavy toll.
“This is our livelihood that is at stake,” she said.
10 states where river flooding will cost US homeowners the most
10 states where river flooding will cost US homeowners the most
While coastal flooding from hurricanes tends to get the most media attention, flooding from overflowing rivers or streams affects all fifty states and is on the rise due to climate change. Known as riverine flooding, it can present a significant threat of property damage that homeowners should be aware of. To explore the impact of riverine flooding on homeowners, MoneyGeek analyzed data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) most recent National Risk Index to determine the expected cost of property damage per year due to riverine flooding events.
KEY FINDINGS:
- Damage to property caused by riverine flooding is expected to cost $2.9 billion every year. Riverine flooding is the third costliest natural cause of property damage, behind hurricanes and earthquakes.
- The cost of property damage from riverine flooding is highest for residents of Louisiana, where annual expected losses total $51 per person.
- Texas can expect to lose $962 million in property damage to riverine flooding annually, the highest total loss in the nation; the state also has the second-highest expected per capita cost ($32) in the U.S.
- Connecticut experiences the least flooding in terms of costly damage to property, with just $0.63 per capita in expected yearly damages.
- Riverine flooding affects all states and is four times costlier than coastal flooding.
States Where Riverine Flooding Costs Homeowners the Most
So which states are most at risk of experiencing economic losses from riverine flooding? Some states and regions are more flood-prone than others, with five of the top ten states for losses in the Southeastern United States.
The number one state for flood losses, Louisiana, has an expected property damage per capita of $51 per person. That’s much more than the second state on the list, Texas, where residents were expected to pay $32 each in damages. However, because Texas is more populous, its total projected flood losses came in at a staggering $962 million, while smaller Louisiana’s losses are projected to be $232 million.
Although flood losses are more likely in the Southeast, flooding can happen in all fifty states. North Dakota, Vermont, Iowa, Nevada and New Jersey also held spots in the top ten states for costliest flood losses.
MoneyGeek found that riverine flooding is four times more costly than coastal flooding. Given that riverine flooding affects all fifty states and coastal flooding only touches thirty-two, this may not be surprising, but the monetary difference between the two types of predicted flood damages is staggering: $2.9 billion is expected to be lost to riverine flooding, compared to $783 million to coastal flooding.
Flooding Risks and Homeowners Insurance
Flooding risks are increasing due to climate change, and flood damage is predicted to rise 26% over the next thirty years. As the atmospheric temperature rises, so does the amount of moisture in the air, increasing the chances of rain and sudden violent storms that can cause flash flooding.
While riverine flooding can happen in any area where available natural or constructed channels for water are full, flash flooding can cause large amounts of water to move rapidly through an area. Due to the water’s density, these flooding events can be extremely dangerous. FEMA estimates that water from a flood moving at 10 miles per hour can put as much pressure on a structure as 270 mile-per-hour wind gusts.
Although every state in the country is potentially at risk from riverine flooding, some communities bear a higher risk than others. Over the next thirty years, flooding in poor communities, particularly those with large Black populations in the American South, is predicted to increase by 20%. Often, the municipalities in these areas have yet to invest in flood adaptation or improved infrastructure, and studies show that during disaster recovery, poorer communities are less likely to receive aid than wealthier communities.
Protecting Your Home and Belongings from Flooding
Navigating climate change and insurance as a homeowner can be confusing, especially since most homeowner insurance policies do not cover flooding from weather events. The loss of property from flooding events can be extreme, but both homeowners and renters can take the following measures to protect themselves:
- Find out if you live in a flood zone.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website offers a flood map where you can learn whether your address is affected by flooding.
- Learn more about flood insurance.
Check with your insurance agent to see what types of damage are covered by a good flood insurance policy. FEMA offers residential flood insurance policies through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Find out what is and isn’t covered. For example, some flood insurance policies cover structure only, while others may include contents. However, most policies will not cover damages caused to personal property stored in basements.
- Educate yourself — even if you’re a renter.
Renters insurance also does not usually cover flooding, but renters living in flood-prone areas can purchase additional coverage to protect their property.
- Check your auto insurance coverage.
Auto owners should look for a comprehensive policy that covers flooding. Otherwise, the loss of a vehicle due to flooding may not be covered by your auto insurance.
Methodology
MoneyGeek analyzed FEMA’s 2021 National Risk Index data — the most recent data available — to determine expected annualized property damage losses from riverine flooding events across the country. Our analysis included property losses from damage caused to buildings due to the overflow of streams, rivers and constructed channels. We analyzed total property damage and ranked states by per capita losses to determine which states are the most burdened by property damage due to riverine flooding.
SOURCES
This story originally appeared on MoneyGeek and has been independently reviewed to meet journalistic standards.
Alice J. Roden started working for Trending Insurance News at the end of 2021. Alice grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. A writer with a vast insurance industry background Alice has help with several of the biggest insurance companies. Before joining Trending Insurance News, Alice briefly worked as a freelance journalist for several radio stations. She covers home, renters and other property insurance stories.