Stuck in Vermont: Plainfield Recovers From Catastrophic Flood 

On July 10 and 11, exactly one year after Vermont suffered catastrophic flood damage, the remnants of Hurricane Beryl caused massive destruction to our state once again. The quaint village of Plainfield two-thirds of was battered by the raging Great Brook, which took down trees and washed out roads, bridges and houses. It even demolished two-thirds of a historic apartment building on Mill Street that locals called the Heartbreak Hotel.

Everyone escaped the Heartbreak in time, but some cats were lost and have not been recovered. Twelve residents and their pets were displaced and are currently seeking housing. Town Clerk Bram Towbin estimated that Plainfield's infrastructure repairs will cost between $8 million and $15 million dollars. The town’s entire annual budget is less than $1.4 million, and its residents are still recovering from last year’s flood.

Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger traveled to Plainfield one week after the flood to meet residents and hear about their experiences. Eli Barlow lived in the Heartbreak for four years before losing everything when his apartment washed away. He wants to stay in Plainfield but is struggling to find affordable rental housing. Arion Thiboumery is the owner of what is left of the Heartbreak, which was built in the 1880s. After experiencing three floods in the past year, he is not planning to rebuild and hopes the area will be turned into a floodplain.

Across the road, Jenni Belotserkovsky and Jim Gerstman are crossing their fingers for a buyout by the Federal Emergency Management Agency after being denied last year. Silt covered the first floor of their home of 16 years, mud packed their basement, and rushing water washed out their backyard. After staying with friends in Barre, the couple and their 12-year-old daughter have found a shared living space in Marshfield. Their mortgage payments can be deferred for two months, but after that, they are unsure how they will afford rent and a mortgage on an uninhabitable home.

Susan Grimaldi lives down the street on Brook Road. As the president of the Plainfield Historical Society, she is familiar with the many floods the town has endured. Her home of 46 years was pummeled — she lost her backyard, retaining wall, pantry, upper balcony and deck — but she hopes to fix it up and live in it this winter. After that, she will consider a FEMA buyout. Grimaldi has experienced six floods in her home, but she said this was the worst and she no longer feels safe there.

Volunteers are pouring into Plainfield, and many basements have been mucked out. A temporary bridge is being built on Mill Street, and water crews are repairing service lines. As Plainfield’s residents recover from this devastating blow, many wonder what the future holds for their town and our flood-prone state.

Filming date: 7/19/24

This episode of Stuck in Vermont was supported by New England Federal Credit Union.