US president declares emergency in Vermont amid catastrophic flooding

WASHINGTON - US President Joe Biden on Tuesday declared an emergency in Vermont as the state is being struck by catastrophic flooding.

The White House said in a statement that Biden has ordered federal assistance to supplement the northeastern US state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions in the areas affected by flooding beginning on Sunday and continuing.

"Vermont's capital city, and many other communities across the state, are under water. The devastation and flooding we're experiencing across Vermont is historic and catastrophic," Vermont Governor Phil Scott wrote in a tweet Tuesday morning.

Heavy rain has drenched the state, prompting road closures, evacuations and rescues. Some areas saw over nine inches of rain during the "historic two-day rainstorm," according to the US National Weather Service.

"Even though skies are blue in some places, the threat of flooding has not ended," Vermont Department of Health warned local residents in a tweet on Tuesday.

Officials said that flooding has created fast-moving, dangerous, potentially contaminated water conditions that can last for days.

People are still trapped in homes and cars. Some of these areas are just too dangerous to get to by boat, and five helicopters are in the air trying to find and reach people, reported local TV station WCAX, adding that drones will also be used to try to locate anyone stranded.

There have been more than 110 rescues so far and the Vermont National Guard deployed Tuesday morning to hard-hit areas to help, said the report.