National Guard Moves Supplies Into Wilmington

(Host) A National Guard convoy has brought some relief to Wilmington residents, who've been isolated since Sunday when the storm devastated the village center and destroyed roads and bridges.

The Guard brought emergency supplies and troops are helping contact residents who are stranded.

VPR's John Dillon has the story:

(Dillon) A large National Guard flatbed truck carried pallets of bottled water to the Wilmington High School. 

(Myers) "Our unit is out of Westminster. We're Delta Company out of Westminster, Vermont."

Travis Myers is the officer in charge.

(Myers) "The roads have been hard to get to, so most of the water re-supply on towns that don't have potable water.   The Vermont National Guard provided this water distribution to the community for a problem that's probably going to last a couple of weeks."

(Dillon) Guard troops have also used their Humvees to reach dozens of residents stranded on back roads.

(Myers) "We've been working with the Vermont State Police. Through them, doing reconnaissance missions out there to talk to people. It's a struggle for both state police and the National Guard getting to people due to the roads."

(Dillon) Entire sections of roads are completely destroyed. Route 9, the main east-west route from Bennington to Brattleboro, is severed in several places. Near Brattleboro, Whetstone Brook has cut deep chasms in the highway. In Wilmington, the Deerfield River severely damaged a bridge cutting off access to the town from the west. 

Late on Tuesday, road crews re-opened a back road from Brattleboro so utility line crews and road repair trucks can get through to Wilmington.

So before access was restored, the Guard's arrival was a relief for marooned residents. Monique Johnson was volunteering at the town high school.

(Johnson) "They got here through a very long route, a very long dangerous route. They crossed roads that probably shouldn't have been crossed. But they're doing their job and they've been incredible."

(Dillon) But it will take more than troops' arrival to restore this town. Nicki Steel was helping coordinate volunteers at the high school.

(Steel) "The village will never be the same village. There isn't one business in the downtown area that didn't have four to six feet of water running through it."

(Dillon) The Wilmington-Dover region is a tourism, resort based economy. So residents are worried that they won't get the needed leaf peeper business this fall, or will see fewer skiers in the winter if the infrastructure isn't quickly repaired.

But for now, all many residents want is a hot shower. Brian McIntyre was at the shelter grabbing a quick meal. It's been his home base since flood waters swept through the first floor of his house Sunday night. He's not sure when he can move back in.

(McIntrye) "It's going to be a while. There's no sewer, there's no running water. There's no nothing. So, I don't know. Hopefully we can get there some time. It's just a long process of cleaning up and getting back together."

(Dillon) For VPR News, I'm John Dillon in Wilmington.