Lakeshore Flood in Vermont, June 1 to 18, 2011

Name: Lakeshore Flood in Vermont, June 1 to 18, 2011
Start: 2011-06-01T00:00
End: 2011-06-18T11:00
Location: Vermont

June 1 to 18, 2011 · NWS BTV · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Record Flooding occurred along the shores of Lake Champlain from mid-April to mid-June. 0 feet and were surpassed on April 13th and finally receded below flood stage on June 18th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS BTV wrote it up.

Record Flooding occurred along the shores of Lake Champlain from mid-April to mid-June. NWS Flood Stages for the United States Geological Survey (USGS) gages on Lake Champlain at the ECHO Center in Burlington, VT and Rouses Point, NY are 100.0 feet and were surpassed on April 13th and finally receded below flood stage on June 18th.

Major flooding occurs with lake levels at or above 101.5 feet, which were surpassed from April 27th June 8th as the lake level exceeded its flood stage of 100 feet from April 13th to June 18th. Further, the lake level exceeded it's previous flood of record of 102.1 feet on April 28th and crested at 103.26 feet on May 6th, before eventually receding below the previous record on June 5th.

In addition, strong south to southeast winds of 25 to 35 mph (greater at times) caused extensive damage due to 3 to 5 foot wave action as well as 0.5-1 foot seiches|on windward facing shores (New York and Vermont). These episodes occurred on April 23rd, May 2nd, May 22-23rd and June 1st. North to northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph caused extensive damage due to 2 to 4 foot waves and seiches around an half foot on windward shorelines (Vermont) on May 9-10th and June 1st-2nd.

These record lake levels were attributed to a combination of a 125-150 percent of normal winter snowfall, subsequent melting of that snow pack and an abnormally wet meteorological spring (March, April and May). Normal precipitation for meteorological spring within the Lake Champlain basin is 8.5-10 inches, yet observed precipitation was 16 to 26 inches (> 200 percent).

Serious and extensive flooding to dozens of lake shore roads, 500-1000 houses and dozens of businesses. In addition, the periodic closing of the Lake Champlain ferry from Grand Isle, Vermont to Plattsburgh, New York and the delayed opening of two additional ferry crossings.

Damage estimates will be incorporated into the May storm data, representing the crest of the flood waters, thus the time of the most significant impact and damage.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Burlington, VT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 31, 9:28 PM EST, 2 hours 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 9:28 PM EST, 2 hours 32 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, May 31, 3:15 AM EST, 20 hours 45 minutes before

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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 lakeshore flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Lakeshore Flood, Grand Isle

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 18, 11:00 AM EST
Where: Grand Isle forecast zone
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 44.797, -73.295 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lakeshore Flood, Western Addison

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 18, 11:00 AM EST
Where: Western Addison forecast zone
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 44.031, -73.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lakeshore Flood, Western Chittenden

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 18, 11:00 AM EST
Where: Western Chittenden forecast zone
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 44.461, -73.081 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lakeshore Flood, Western Franklin

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 18, 11:00 AM EST
Where: Western Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 44.858, -72.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lakeshore Flood, Western Rutland

When: June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 18, 11:00 AM EST
Where: Western Rutland forecast zone
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 43.580, -73.037 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Lakeshore Flood: Flooding along the shore of one of the Great Lakes or another large lake.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Vermont in 2011 Every state in 2011 This day in weather history Warnings in Vermont, June 2011

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 314735, 314736, 314737, 314738, 314739.