Vermonters, pummeled by floods exactly a year apart, are assessing damage, beginning cleanup

PLAINFIELD, Vt. (AP) — Volunteers, some with heavy equipment, shoveled river silt and mud from roads, homes, yards and driveways and removed flood-ravaged items from homes Friday in one of the Vermont communities hardest hit by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl.

Former students of a now retired school principal, whose home and yard were among those damaged, showed up to help.

“I think as a community we all got to come together and give a hand and receive nothing but just giving the love back that he’s given the community and to the school,” said Dillon Mears, 33, of Owen Bradley. Some wore t-shirts emblazoned with the word “love,” a message that Bradley and his wife Jane spread.

The couple’s son flew in Friday morning on a red eye from Oakland, California, and quickly went to work with others.

“This is how we are. You know, there’s people over there helping out, as soon as we’re done here, we’re going to help everybody else out,” said Adrian Bradley, 35. “That’s Vermont. It’s a small state, 600,000 people, we know everybody, you help your neighbors.”

Gov. Phil Scott said Friday it’ll take several more days to fully assess damage from flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, but he said Vermont is better positioned to recover quickly after enduring heartbreak, federal red tape and an extensive cleanup from massive floods exactly a year ago.

“We can all use what we learned last year to quickly strengthen our response, and that starts with getting homes, businesses and communities clean and dry as quickly as possible,” Scott told reporters at a briefing in Berlin.

He praised the resilience of Vermonters who are accustomed to making do without government help in rural areas, but also urged them to take time to report damage and not to be afraid to ask for assistance.

Beryl’s remnants dumped more than 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain in just a few hours Wednesday and Thursday on parts of Vermont, destroying and damaging homes, knocking out bridges, cutting off towns and retraumatizing a state where some people are still awaiting assistance from the last catastrophic floods that hit a year ago to the day.

Two people — a motorist in Lyndonville and a man riding an all-terrain-vehicle in Peacham — were killed by the floodwaters, authorities said.

The Vermont Department of Transportation is releasing nearly $30 million in town highway payments by early August — half of it by next week — to help communities repair washed out roads, bridges and culverts, said Joe Flynn, secretary of transportation. The state has already reopened all but 18 of the 54 state roads that were closed by flooding or storm debris, he said.

Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison urged people on Thursday to take advantage of sunny weather forecast for the next few days to get as much cleanup done as possible, moving sodden rugs and furniture to dry outside to reduce the likelihood of mold.

And speaking to Vermonters not directly affected, she urged them to volunteer through state programs or to “simply roll up your sleeves, grab a shovel, and help your neighbors.”

Elsewhere in Plainfield, a concrete bridge that collapsed and tumbled downstream was likely responsible for ripping off part of an apartment building with five units, said Michael Billingsley, the town’s emergency management director.

The occupant of another home was pulled through a window to safety moments before it was swept downstream, and a mobile home floated away with four pets belonging to a family that narrowly escaped, he said.

Similar stories played out across Vermont, where state swift-water teams alone rescued about 120 residents. Many more were rescued by local emergency responders, officials said.

Beryl, blamed for at least nine U.S. deaths and 11 in the Caribbean, made landfall nearly 2,000 miles (3,220 kilometers) away in Texas on Monday as a Category 1 hurricane that left millions in the Houston area without power. But it wasn’t done. The storm traveled across the interior U.S. as a post-tropical cyclone that brought flooding and some tornadoes from the Great Lakes to northern New England and Canada.

The storm spawned seven tornadoes that hit western New York on Wednesday, the National Weather Service said. Flash flooding also closed roads in several northern New Hampshire and upstate New York communities.

Even though Vermont is not a coastal state, it has been pummeled before by tropical weather systems. Tropical Storm Irene dumped 11 inches (28 centimeters) of rain on parts of Vermont in 24 hours in 2011. The storm killed six in the state, washed homes off their foundations and damaged or destroyed more than 200 bridges and 500 miles (800 kilometers) of highway.

Vermont officials on Friday said the state updated requirements for culverts and bridges after Irene to account for the likelihood of more dangerous storms due to climate change, and none of the bridges that washed out in the latest flooding were those rebuilt to the higher standards.

In May, Vermont became the first state to enact a law requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a share of the damage caused by extreme weather fanned by climate change. But officials acknowledged Friday that collecting any money will depend on litigation against a much-better-resourced oil industry.

Associated Press writers David Sharp in Maine, Holly Ramer in New Hampshire, Seth Borenstein in Washington and Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

An excavator and loader clear Hudson Avenue of mud after remnants of Hurricane Beryl caused flooding and destruction, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Walker Blackwell, right, cleans up the damage to his home after remnants of Hurricane Beryl caused flooding and destruction, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

A loader dumps dirt along a washed out portion of Mill Street after remnants of Hurricane Beryl caused flooding and destruction, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

A resident, with muddy feet, stands in his damaged home following flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. (AP Photo/Dmitry Belyakov)

Homeowner Walker Blackwell, right, embraces his friend, Eli Yoder, who just flew out from Colorado to help in the clean up effort, after remnants of Hurricane Beryl caused flooding and destruction, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

A woman looks at what remains of an apartment building, of which about one third of the building broke away and was carried downstream, after remnants of Hurricane Beryl caused flooding and destruction, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Plainfield. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Two men dig out an SUV stuck in the mud along Hudson Avenue after remnants of Hurricane Beryl caused flooding and destruction, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Rick Gordon, of Plainfield, Vt. looks at what remains of Mill Street and an apartment building after remnants of Hurricane Beryl caused flooding and destruction, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Plainfield. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

August Thompson walks over the washed out remains of the road in front of his grandfather's home after remnants of Hurricane Beryl caused flooding and destruction, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Debris is strewn about following flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. (AP Photo/Dmitry Belyakov)

A vehicle is buried in silt following flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. (AP Photo/Dmitry Belyakov)

Debris is strewn about a damaged bridge over the Winooski River following flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. (AP Photo/Dmitry Belyakov)

Debris and damaged mailboxes sit outside a home following flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. (AP Photo/Dmitry Belyakov)

Debris and damaged along the Winooski River following flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. (AP Photo/Dmitry Belyakov)

Residents collect debris following flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. (AP Photo/Dmitry Belyakov)

Debris is strewn about a damaged bridge over the Winooski River following flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. (AP Photo/Dmitry Belyakov)

Debris is strewn about following flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. (AP Photo/Dmitry Belyakov)

The Winooski River is seen flooded in Plainfield, Vermont. The village was badly hit by the flash flood last night, destroying two bridges and plenty of private houses, Thursday, July 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitry Belyakov)

Vehicles drive through high water from the Lamoille River covering Route 15 after remnants of Hurricane Beryl caused flooding, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Cambridge, Vt. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Jody Tanner, of the Vermont Transportation Agency, talks with co-workers at a high water point of the Lamoille River along Route 15 after remnants of Hurricane Beryl caused flooding, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Cambridge, Vt. At rear is the Gates Farm Covered Bridge. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Homeowner Scott Mackie, right, shovels mud away from his home while cleaning up the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Waterbury, Vt. Mackie said his basement was filled with nearly five feet of the muddy mixture, which friends and neighbors are helping to empty. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

An overwhelmed residents surveys the damage following flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Plainfield, Vt. (AP Photo/Dmitry Belyakov)

Water floods the lower level of homes, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Bolton, Vt., near the Winooski River. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

A truck sits damaged by flooding in Plainfield, Vermont, Thursday, July 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)

A sign warns of a road closed by flooding in Marshfield, Vt., Thursday, July 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)

An SUV sits in flood debris in Plainfield, Vermont, Thursday, July 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)

Water floods the lower level of homes, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Waterbury, Vt. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

Flooding washes out a road, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Barre, Vt. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

Water floods the lower level of homes, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Bolton, Vt., near the Winooski River. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

Mud and debris covers roads in Barre, Vt., on Thursday, July 11, 2024, after the remnants of Hurricane Beryl caused flooding. (AP Photo/Lisa Rathke)

Water floods a street, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Waterbury, Vt. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares were trading mixed Tuesday, as the Tokyo benchmark bounced back and calmed from last week’s plunge.

Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 jumped 3.2% in afternoon trading to 36,156.47. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose nearly 0.2% to 7,826.80. South Korea’s Kospi was little changed, gaining less than 0.1% to 2,618.36. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng inched down less than 0.1% to 17,104.82, while the Shanghai Composite lost 0.4% to 2,846.40.

In Tokyo, computer chip issues were in demand, with Tokyo Electron surging 6.2%, echoing the strong performance of technology-related issues on Wall Street.

Investors also seemed to be cheered by how the recently volatile yen value appeared to be calming. Although a cheap yen is a boon for Japan’s major exporters, like Toyota Motor Corp., by boosting the value of overseas earnings when translated into yen, a cheap currency gradually erodes away at a nation’s purchasing power.

The U.S. dollar rose to 147.66 Japanese yen from 147.17 yen. The euro cost $1.0939, little changed from $1.0935.

“Global geopolitical developments, such as tensions in East Asia, ongoing conflicts in Eastern Europe, or disruptions in global trade, could further impact the dollar’s performance,” said Luca Santos, currency analyst at ACY Securities.

Last week, Japanese stocks underwent their worst plunge since the Black Monday crash of 1987. A comment from a senior Bank of Japan official, stressing the importance of stability, helped calm markets somewhat.

Uncertainty around the world, such as the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as worries about China, are adding to worries that tend to set off market swings.

Wall Street drifted through a quiet day of trading Monday, with the S&P 500 ending little changed. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 140 points, or 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%.

Investors have their eyes on various data expected later this week, including reports on U.S. inflation and retail sales. The best-case scenario would be signs of a slowdown in inflation and strong sales.

Such data influences decisions by the world’s central banks, including the Federal Reserve, which kept its main interest rate at a two-decade high trying to tackle what’s known as “stagflation.” The Fed could ease rates, giving the U.S. economy an upward push but that also threatens to worsen inflation.

Japan’s central bank, in contrast, is trying to ignite inflation in a long deflation-stuck economy by gradually raising interest rates after years of zero or minus rates.

Japan’s April-June real gross domestic product, or GDP, which measures the value of a nation’s products and services, will be released Wednesday.

Some analysts say Japan's economic growth may be relatively robust, given the recent data on domestic capital investment.

“Actually now that energy and good prices have stabilized, you did see the first increase in real wages and real incomes in over two years in Japan,” said Jesper Koll, strategist and Japan expert, who is now a director at Monex Group.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 3.90% from 3.94% late Friday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed action, fell to 4.01% from 4.06%.

On Wall Street, while most stocks weakened, a 4.1% jump for Nvidia helped offset many of those losses. Because it’s one of the largest U.S. stocks by value, Nvidia’s movements carry extra weight on the S&P 500 and other indexes.

All told, the S&P 500 rose by less than a quarter of a point, 0.23, to 5,344.39. The Dow dropped 140.53 to 39,357.01, and the Nasdaq composite gained 35.31 to 16,780.61.

Several major U.S. companies report their latest earnings results later in the week, including Walmart and Home Depot. Most big U.S. companies have been reporting better profits than analysts expected.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude fell 52 cents to $79.54 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, declined 63 cents to $81.67 a barrel.

AP Business Writer Stan Choe contributed to this report.

A currency trader passes by a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top center, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A currency trader watches monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top center, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Currency traders pass by a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)