These Photos Show How Devastating the Flooding is in the Northeast

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A damaged wall is seen on flooded water at Highland Fall in New York
A damaged wall is seen on flooded water at Highland Fall in New York on July 10, 2023.Jeenah Moon—The Washington Post/Getty Images
Text by Solcyre Burga | Photo Editing by Eli Cohen

Heavy rainfall that began over the weekend has inundated the Northeast, killing at least one person across the region and prompting officials in Montpelier, Vt. to close the capital city’s downtown area due to intense flooding.

Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York were also among the affected, as more than 13 million Americans were under flood watches and warnings on Monday.

The extreme flooding unusually occurred as El Niño, a climate phenomenon, has begun. Across the northern U.S. and Canada El Niño typically brings warm, dryer temperatures, while the southern U.S. faces greater precipitation and flooding.

A slow-moving storm system stuck between Greenland and Canada and incoming tropical moisture from the south were the main cause of this week’s storms, per the Washington Post. However, the extreme rainfall is also indicative of greater changes caused by climate change. Flooding will only become more common as the atmosphere becomes warmer, causing the air to hold greater moisture and thus create more precipitation.

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Several New York counties were under flood watch on Tuesday with some regions seeing more than eight inches of rain accumulate from Sunday through Monday. Flash floods were so strong at some points that one 43-year-old woman was swept away by the water when attempting to leave her home.

“We yelled at her, ‘get back in the house.’ She went back in and panicked again. She grabbed the dog and came out. As soon as she hit the road, water hit her and took her down,” the victim’s father told NBC New York.

Vermont, however, has faced the brunt of the downpours with reports of flooding at levels greater than what was seen during Tropical Storm Irene (marking one of the worst floods in almost 100 years), according to Vermont Gov. Phil Scott. “Make no mistake—the devastation and flooding we’re experiencing across Vermont is historic and catastrophic,” Scott added during a Tuesday press conference. The rainfall has destroyed thousands of homes and businesses as water sat waist-high in some areas of the state, and Montpelier is currently under a boil water notice.

Forecasts in Vermont indicate greater rainfall in the coming days, meaning the situation could worsen. Here’s a photo roundup of the flooding across Vermont to New York:

In an aerial view, a pick-up truck drives along a flooded road after heavy rain
In an aerial view, a pick-up truck drives along a flooded road after heavy rain in Londonderry, Vt., on July 10, 2023.Scott Eisen—Getty Images
A man stops to take a photo as heavy rain sends mud and debris down the Ottauquechee River
A man stops to take a photo as heavy rain sends mud and debris down the Ottauquechee River in Quechee, Vt., on July 10, 2023.Jessica Rinaldi—The Boston Globe/Getty Images
Residents remove their possessions from their home as floodwaters rise
Residents remove their possessions from their home as floodwaters rise in Waterbury, Vt., on July 10.Jessica Rinaldi—The Boston Globe/Getty Images
Cars sit stranded in standing flood water along Thayer Road on the campus of the United States Military Academy
Cars sit stranded in standing flood water along Thayer Road on the campus of the United States Military Academy at West Point, in New York, on July 10, 2023.USMA/AP
Workers survey a severely damaged road near Bear Mountain State Park following a night of heavy rain
Workers survey a severely damaged road near Bear Mountain State Park following a night of heavy rain and flooding in Highland Falls, N.Y., on July 10, 2023.Spencer Platt—Getty Images
Workers prepare to move a building out of the creek after flash flooding
Workers prepare to move a building out of the creek after flash flooding left damage in Black Rock Forest in Cornwall, N.Y., on July 10, 2023.Bryan Anselm—The New York Times/Redux
Governor Kathy Hochul surveys the damage from flooding in Highland Falls
Governor Kathy Hochul surveys the damage in a visit to update residents on the state’s efforts to respond to Sunday’s flooding that devastated the area in Highland Falls, N.Y., on July 10.Fatih Aktas—Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Clement Despault, left, embraces his friend Kim Crowell inside her garage as the water rises on both sides around her home
Clement Despault, left, embraces his friend Kim Crowell inside her garage as the water rises on both sides around her home in Waterbury, Vt., on July 10.Jessica Rinaldi—The Boston Globe/Getty Images
Emergency personnel maneuver a boat which was used to rescue residents of flooded homes
Emergency personnel maneuver a boat which was used to rescue residents of flooded homes following flash flooding from torrential rain throughout the Lower Hudson Valley, in Stony Point, N.Y., on July 9, 2023.Seth Harrison—USA Today Network/Reuters
Pedestrians pass along Main Street that was damaged by flooding
Pedestrians pass along Main Street that was damaged by flooding the previous day in Highland Falls, N.Y., on July 10, 2023.John Minchillo—AP
Volunteers help clear Main Street of debris after floodwaters subsided
Volunteers help clear Main Street of debris after floodwaters subsided in Highland Falls, N.Y., on July 10.John Minchillo—AP
A workshop wall opened to the brook beyond after flash flooding
A workshop wall opened to the brook beyond after flash flooding in Cornwall, N.Y., on July 10, 2023.Bryan Anselm—The New York Times/Redux

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