Northeast Braces for Weekend Rain as Vermont Sees Devastating Flash Flooding That Had Residents Evacuating in a Canoe

Rain remained in the forecast on Tuesday around the Northeast, as the region, particularly Vermont and upstate New York, assessed damage from historic flooding that prompted dozens of rescues, totaled roadways, and left one woman dead.

Crews from around the country rushed into Vermont on Monday to assist with evacuations and rescues.

Mike Cannon of Vermont Urban Search and Rescue told CBS News late Monday the towns of Weston and Londonderry were inaccessible, as responders were heading out to conduct welfare checks there.

According to the Vermont Department of Public Safety, more than 50 people had to be rescued as of Monday night, although there were no reports of injuries or deaths as a result of the torrential downpour, the network reported.

In New York's Hudson Valley, which experienced intense flooding on Sunday, one woman died as she attempted to escape her home in Fort Montgomery, according to the Associated Press.

Pamela Nugent, 43, was trying to get through the floodwaters with her dog when she was "overwhelmed by tidal wave-type waves," Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus told the AP.

Posts on social media showed areas in Highland Falls and West Point in New York where roadways gave out due to the massive amounts of water, including on Route 218, which completely fell apart, one video on Twitter shows.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden declared an emergency in Vermont and authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide assistance.

An emergency declaration had not been approved for New York.

Gov. Kathy Hochul's office said late Monday the governor spoke with White House and FEMA officials along with Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand "regarding the ongoing emergency and the potential for federal assistance to help rebuild."

FEMA and the the Hochul administration did not immediately return requests for additional information on Tuesday morning.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday the Biden administration has been in touch with state and local officials and "obviously, we're offering assistance."

"FEMA personnel have mobilized to the affected areas and are working closely with state and local partners, and we continue to monitor the impact of the flooding," Jean-Pierre said, per a pool report.

Flood warnings and watches issued by the National Weather Service continued to be in effect through Tuesday morning throughout Vermont and portions of northeastern New York.

Rain has already given way to sun in the hard-hit New York communities while clearer skies were expected around Vermont later on Tuesday, according to the weather service.

The sun was forecasted to hang around Wednesday, despite a 20 percent chance of showers in the area.

"While we do have ongoing flooding, we won't be adding to it, given what's already in the rivers time to move throughout the system," the weather service said about the Northeast in a tweet on Tuesday.

Emergency shelters had cropped up across Vermont, including the Cavendish Baptist Church, where some people canoed over to ride out the storm, according to CBS.

"People are doing OK. It's just stressful," shelter volunteer Amanda Gross told the outlet.

Vermont state Rep. Kelly Pajala said she was among about a half dozen people who had to evacuate from an apartment along the West River in Londonderry.

"The river was at our doorstep," Pajala told CBS. "We threw some dry clothes and our cats into the car and drove to higher ground."

Dana Zazinski, of Londonderry, told Fox News she realized how dangerous the flooding was when first responders knocked on her door and suggested she move her car as the West River was approaching the property.

"I'm not going to lie. This is pretty scary," Zazinski said.

In Montpelier, residents were urged on Tuesday to seek shelter on the upper levels of their homes, as the city's streets were severely flooded. The city was cut off from the rest of the state due to the floodwaters.

Officials were also keeping close watch of water levels in local dams.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Monday night it expected the Ball Mountain Dam in Jamaica and the Townshend Dam in the Townshend/Windham area in Vermont to release "large quantities of water over their spillways."

But expectations changed by Tuesday morning.

"Water will still be released from the dams but in smaller amounts than previously anticipated," the agency said on Twitter.

"Many river levels have peaked and are beginning to recede. Although additional rain is expected in the next 72 hours, we are actively managing the reservoirs to provide capacity to hold the water."

Chances for additional rain, however, were forecasted Thursday through Sunday in the Northeast.

In Burlington, Vermont, showers and thunderstorms were expected Thursday, but forecasters said there would be "less than a tenth of an inch. There is a 70% likelihood of rain again on Friday with "showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm" into the afternoon.

In the Hudson Valley, similar conditions were expected, with a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms on Wednesday afternoon, according to the weather service.

Another chance of showers and thunderstorms is expected to return there on Thursday, beginning in the late morning, although new rainfall also was expected to be less than a tenth of an inch.

Forecasts throughout the region showed showers had a 40% chance again on Saturday and Sunday, with sun returning Monday.