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Randall and Elm Streets in Waterbury felt like a raucous New Orleans funeral on Thursday. Residents and businesses lost so much when the waters of the Winooski River inundated parts of the downtown, flooding some 40 homes and six businesses. But scores of volunteers came from everywhere to give so much back.
Prohibition Pig, the popular restaurant and brewery at the corner of Elm Street and Main Street, was the center of cleanup activity. By midday, the staff were serving free food and pizza donated by American Flatbread. A who’s who of Vermont craft beer brewers, including John Kimmich, owner of the Alchemist brewery — which operated a pub that was flooded out of this location when Tropical Storm Irene hit in 2011 — dropped off coolers full of beer for the volunteers. A public works crew from St. Albans drove around with a giant vacuum truck — dubbed the “suck truck” by grateful residents – that pumped out flooded basements, a backbreaking job that took days when Irene flooded these same homes.
Behind the celebratory vibe, there was also a somber reality. ProPig would be closed for the foreseeable future and owner Eric Warnstedt had to tell its 49 employees that they were laid off. The brewery was flooded and 3,000 gallons of their famous craft beer was lost.
But the buzz, enhanced by the excellent beer, was palpable.
I spent Thursday walking around the neighborhood talking to the people who were hard at work and elbows deep in mud.
