😱Mother Nature Turns Deadly 🌊: Unexpected Flood Claims Life of a Hero in Barre City 💔
TL;DR;:
In an unprecedented turn of events, Barre City, Vermont mourns its first victim of the recent historic floods. Stephen Davoll, a dedicated truck driver and much-loved family man, met a tragic end by drowning in his own home. This unfortunate incident raises many questions about our level of preparedness for sudden disasters. 💦😢
Our beloved Barre City had its share of biblical tribulations this week, folks! Amid the historic flooding, 63-year-old Stephen Davoll met a fate no one saw coming, right in his own home. The basement, usually as dry as your grandma’s turkey, became a lethal pool. So let’s ask, when Mother Nature goes wild, are we really prepared? 🌪️💦
Davoll, described by his sister-in-law Barbara Pennell as “the better guy you couldn’t ask for,” resided on Vine Street, a stone’s throw away from the usually placid Winooski River tributary. The river, as peaceful as a puppy, suddenly turned into a beast, flooding their home basement. Pennell recounts how Davoll continuously checked on the water level until tragedy struck. But is constantly checking on a flooding basement the best course of action in a flood? 🤔
Heavy, unending rainfall transformed our scenic waterways and charming municipalities into dangerous territories. It got so wild, Vermont Emergency Management rescue teams performed over 200 rescues and 100 evacuations in a week. But this is Vermont, folks! Shouldn’t we be used to wild weather by now? ☔🌧️
Our hearts go out to Davoll’s family – a daughter, three step-children, and his wife, Beverly Frost. The cherry on this tragic sundae is that their home, near the Stevens Branch of the Winooski River, doesn’t usually get flooded. The basement, now a watery tomb, is a tragic reminder of the destructive power of nature. So, what’s next for families living near water bodies? Is this the new normal we should get used to? 🏡💔
Stephen wasn’t just a guy with a big heart. He was the embodiment of hard work, toiling from 10 in the morning till late night as a delivery truck driver. He was a man of many talents – no matter if it was a hundred degrees out, he’d put his suit on and go sandblasting. Who will fill his boots now that this community pillar is no longer with us? 👷♂️🚚
Life’s unpredictability strikes us once again, hitting us right in the feels. One day you’re enjoying your vacation, the next day you’re battling a freak flood in your own home. But as we mourn Stephen Davoll, we must ask, how can we better prepare ourselves for such unforeseen disasters? And is it high time we rethink our flood response mechanisms? 🕰️💭
