Waterbury among Vermont communities remembering Irene

WATERBURY, Vt. (AP) — Communities across Vermont are commemorating the 10-year anniversary of when Tropical Storm Irene inundated the state.

Waterbury was among the towns hardest hit by the storm that struck on Aug. 28, 2011.

Much of the community was flooded when the Winooski River overflowed its banks. Dozens of homes and most of the state office complex were made unusable by the water.

But the town was rebuilt in ways that officials say make it less likely to suffer such significant damage in future floods.

The three days of festivities began on Thursday. On Saturday there were walking tours of the community, including two tours of the rebuilt state office complex, along with other activities.

During Irene, parts of Vermont got 11 inches of rain in 24 hours. The storm killed six in the state, washed homes off their foundations and damaged or destroyed more than 200 bridges and 500 miles of highway.