VIDEO: Two years after flooding washed out roads and destroyed a significant portion of Ludlow, the community is back on its feet, with some projects still in the works.
“Seems very far away at this point, two years later, but I think that’s a tribute to how well we recovered as a community,” Ludlow Fire Chief Ben Whalen said. According to Whalen, it was the worst flooding disaster since Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. When the water rushed into the town and much of Vermont in 2023, Whalen was the assistant chief of the Chester Fire Department. He and his team assisted the Ski Town while rescuing people in the water in Chester. โThroughout the course of the day, we pulled out about, I think, 22 to 25 people,” he said.
About a year later, more flooding hit the area. Following that, he became the chief of the Ludlow Fire Department. Since then, the department has worked with community partners, including Okemo Valley Technical Rescue, to get more equipment essential for flooding emergencies.
โWhen I came on here, part of the concept was we need to do something with technical rescue,โ Whalen said. โIt’s not a matter of if this happens again, but when we will flood again.โ On Thursday, new radio systems, paid for by Vermont Properties, were delivered to the fire department. Among the other equipment, like ropes and water vests, Whalen said communication is most important when the water hits.
The community support was present when the flooding happened, neighbors relied on each other before the Red Cross arrived. Bruce Schmidt, vice president and general manager of Okemo Mountain Resort, said it was a community effort. “It was just the community coming together. Second, homeowners who were in the area wanted to know what they could do to help out, donating money, donating dehumidifiers, fans, all the things that people need as they’re working to recover,” he said.
Rachael Rogala, who lived in Ludlow at the time and works there now in real estate, said her home was nearly missed by rushing water. Since her home was spared, she said she did what she could to help out those whose homes were destroyed: shoveling out debris in nearby Proctorville. She described the flooding as traumatizing for many, but the support was strong. โEveryone was calling, Hey, how are you? Is everything OK? What do you need? What do you have to have this?โ she said.
The Ludlow municipal manager says some flood projects are still in the works, including the relocation of the wastewater treatment facility.
