WILLISTON — The Winooski River in Williston has flooded, causing several road closures and prompting a request for residents in low-lying areas near the Essex town line to evacuate voluntarily.
At 9 p.m. on Monday the town opened an emergency shelter at the Williston Central School’s front gymnasium, according to a notice sent to residents by the fire department. Whether the shelter will remain open past today will be determined later this afternoon, Wells wrote.
The river at North Williston Road is expected to reach 19.9 feet on Tuesday, the notice reads. Residents who live by North Williston Road near the Essex town line, Fay Lane and Chapman Lane have been advised to voluntarily evacuate.
“Our primary challenge has been working to forecast what the overall impact may be from the Winooski River over the next day,” said Town Manager Erik Wells. “We are continuing to monitor and partially activate our emergency operations center as necessary.”
North Williston Road at the Essex town line and River Cove Road are closed. Mountain View Road is open to local traffic only.
Wells urged residents and travelers to follow the road closure notices, and cautioned people about stopping to view the water flowing over the dam on Route 2A going into Essex Junction in an email today. “We advise people to pay attention while driving to prevent any accident from occurring,” he said.
Questions about voluntary evacuation or temporary sheltering can be directed to the Williston Fire Department at 802-878-5622.
