(NORTH CAROLINA) — A family of four were assaulted after an early-morning robbery in the small North Carolina city of Morganton, according to police.
Officers initially responded to the incident at approximately 4 a.m. Saturday, finding two adults and two children who reported that they had been assaulted by three intruders, according to the Morganton Department of Public Safety.
A Morganton Department of Public Safety representative told ABC News that two of the three intruders were armed, though police are not releasing information on the type of weapons the intruders used.
Investigators said that the intruders duct taped the mouths and hands of the 6- and 7-year-old children and placed them in a closet, according to ABC affiliate WSOC, which reports the mother was also assaulted and the father was “pistol-whipped” by the intruders.
The family, whose identities were not released, told WSOC that they were staying temporarily in the house while their home is under construction.
“The only thing I can say is it was traumatic,” the female adult victim told WSOC. “Looking back now, I don’t know why we are still living. I woke up with an AR-15 pointed to my head, and I watched as they pistol-whipped my husband.”
Unable to locate the perpetrators following the break-in, law enforcement used a reverse 911 call to notify the surrounding area about the dangerous suspects, according to the Morganton Department of Public Safety.
The family told WSOC that the intruders wore ski masks and demanded money, including their Social Security and work checks, while robbing the home.
No arrests have been made in the case. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Morganton Department of Public Safety at 828-437-1211.
(NEW YORK) — Regulators in Europe have launched a review after three people in Iceland experienced thoughts of suicide or self-harm after taking popular diabetes and weight loss drugs Ozempic and Saxenda.
The review is being led by the European Medicines Agency’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee out of an abundance of caution.
At this point, it’s not clear if the three people in Iceland experienced thoughts of suicide or self-harm due to an underlying mental health condition, or whether these thoughts were related to starting drugs like Ozempic and Saxenda, which are called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
“There is a ‘background rate’ of suicidality that, of course, can then include people taking any drug,” said ABC Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton. “When more people take GLP1 agonists, there will therefore be crossover to some of those people exhibiting suicidality. As we always say, observation [does not mean] causality.”
Still, experts say it important for regulators to diligently review any new possible health concern related to approved drugs.
Suicide is not currently listed as a side effect of Ozempic, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s drug label. That means it is not a safety problem that emerged during the large clinical trials that were done to test for safety and effectiveness.
Ozempic, Saxenda and others are part of a class of drugs called GLP-1 RAs that help people produce insulin and lower the amount of sugar in the blood.
The drugs, made from a compound called semaglutide, work by slowing down movement of food through the stomach and curbing appetite, thereby causing weight loss.
Ozempic was approved by the FDA in 2017 to treat Type 2 diabetes, but some doctors prescribe it “off-label” for weight loss.
Saxenda and another drug, Wegovy, are both FDA approved for weight loss for people with obesity or who are overweight.
These drugs have not previously been associated with thoughts of self-harm.
However, prior weight loss medications have been associated with thoughts of self-harm. For that reason, Wegovy and Saxenda are not recommended for people with have previously had suicidal thoughts.
Known side effects of the drugs can include severe nausea and constipation.
Saxenda, Wegovy and Ozempic are all made by Novo Nordisk.
The pharmaceutical company told ABC News in a statement that it is “continuously performing surveillance” of the data and real-world uses of the drugs to ensure patient safety.
“Patient safety is a top priority for Novo Nordisk, and we take all reports about adverse events from use of our medicines very seriously. GLP-1 receptor agonists have been used to treat type 2 diabetes for more than 15 years and for treatment of obesity for 8 years, including Novo Nordisk products such as semaglutide and liraglutide that have been on the market for more than 10 years,” Novo Nordisk said in a statement. “In the US, FDA requires medications for chronic weight management that work on the central nervous system, including Wegovy® and Saxenda®, to carry a warning about suicidal behavior and ideation. This event had been reported in clinical trials with other weight management products.”
“Novo Nordisk is continuously performing surveillance of the data from ongoing clinical trials and real-world use of its products and collaborates closely with the authorities to ensure patient safety and adequate information to healthcare professionals,” the statement continued. “Novo Nordisk remains confident in the benefit risk profile of the products and remains committed to ensuring patient safety.”
The FDA also told ABC News it “routinely evaluates” approved drugs for safety.
The agency has so far not followed its European counterparts in announcing a review of GLP-1 RAs.
“The FDA routinely evaluates individual adverse event reports and adverse event reports from the published literature for all approved drugs,” the FDA said in a statement. “As a general matter, the FDA does not comment on third-party research or individual reports but may evaluate these as part of the body of evidence to further our understanding about a particular issue and assist in our mission to protect public health.”
“Clinical trials of Wegovy did not support an increased risk of suicidal behavior, suicidal ideation, or other psychiatric adverse events with Wegovy; however, suicidal behavior and ideation have been reported in clinical trials of other weight management drugs. For this reason, the US prescribing information for Wegovy contains a Warning and Precaution for suicidal behavior and ideation,” the statement continued. “The FDA monitors the safety of a drug throughout its life cycle, including post-approval. In addition, the FDA maintains a system of postmarketing surveillance and risk assessment programs and if newly identified safety signals are identified, the FDA will determine what actions are appropriate after a thorough review of the body of evidence.”
Doctors say anyone experiencing thoughts of self-harm for any reason should quickly reach out to a professional.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide — free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text the national lifeline at 988. Even if you feel like it, you are not alone.
(NEW YORK) — An orca started a fad in the summer of 1987 when it killed a salmon and returned to the surface with the dead fish draped on top of its head.
For a few pods of killer whales in the Puget Sound area of Washington state, wearing these “dead salmon hats” was “the cool thing to do for that entire summer,” Monika Wieland-Shields, director of the Orca Behavior Institute, told ABC News. It was also one of the first examples of this type of trend-like behavior that humans witnessed spreading among killer whales.
More than three decades later, experts say that a spate of orca encounters with boats near the Iberian Peninsula in recent years could be another one of these orca social trends. What event may have triggered this behavior remains up for debate – one theory by some observers posits that a single orca was previously traumatized in an incident involving a boat, which triggered aggressive behavior that other killer whales have since learned to imitate.
At least 15 human-orca incidents were recorded in 2020, the year in which the encounters are believed to have begun, according to a study published in the journal Marine Mammal Science. Many of them included orcas biting or striking the rudders of sailboats. Three boats have sunk and dozens more have been damaged, according to tracking data from the Cruising Association. There have been no fatalities.
The encounters have spawned a blitz of alarming press and internet memes about a budding uprising of orcas supposedly enacting their revenge on humans. Meanwhile, some experts are calling for more nuance in how the public views these massive marine predators.
“There’s something almost Robin Hood-like about thinking that we’ve pushed nature far enough that they’re finally going to fight back. And people really seem to be getting behind that. There just isn’t evidence that that’s what’s happening,” Wieland-Shields said.
Wieland-Shields said she’s not so sure the orcas are aiming to disable the boats, but they may be intrigued by the moving rudder mechanisms and trying to be playful with the push and pull as the captain tries to maintain steering control.
“We’ve done a lot of things to orcas around the world that could have easily inspired that type of revenge response. And never have we triggered that aggression from them toward humans,” she said.
Dr. Lori Marino, a biopsychologist and expert on orca behavior, believes that humans often characterize orcas and other animals as one-dimensional beings when, in reality, they are far more complex.
“We think because we’re human, we’re the most intelligent, we’re the most complex, we’re the most sophisticated, and other animals are more like cartoon versions of themselves. But no, they are full beings with evolutionary histories, brains some of them bigger than ours and more complex,” Marino told ABC News.
“Quite frankly, if they really wanted to take revenge, they would. You know, let’s not fine coat it. If these orcas wanted to kill humans on those boats, they would. Period,” Marino said.
Wieland-Shields also pushes back against this black-and-white view.
“Through the era of Free Willy and Shamu, orcas kind of morphed from killer whales into sea pandas. And now the pendulum is swinging in the other direction, where they’re becoming the killer whales again,” Wieland-Shields said.
But the truth lies “somewhere in between,” Wieland-Shields said.
“This is one of the ocean’s top predators. They deserve our respect, they deserve their space, but they aren’t out to get humans, you know. We can coexist with them, we can observe them, and have awe at what they’re doing, how they’re behaving, without being afraid that our lives are at risk,” Wieland-Shields said.
(FLORIDA) — Susan Lorincz, the woman charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting her neighbor Ajike “AJ” Owens on June 2 in Ocala, Florida, pleaded not guilty on Monday, her attorney Amanda Sizemore confirmed to ABC News.
Lorincz waived her right to an arraignment, which was scheduled for Tuesday, according to ABC affiliate in Ocala, Florida WCJB.
Lorincz, who is white, was arrested on June 6 and charged with first-degree manslaughter, which is punishable by up to 30 years in prison if she is convicted, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. She was also charged with culpable negligence, battery and two counts of assault.
According to a June 6 statement from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Lorincz shot Owens, a Black mother of four, through a door after Owens went to speak with Lorincz about a dispute over Owens’ children playing near Lorincz’s home.
Lorincz was held on $150,000 bond and remains in custody. Court records show Lorcinz’s pretrial hearing is scheduled for Nov. 2, while jury selection in her case is expected to begin on Nov. 13.
Sizemore declined to comment on the charges that her client is facing.
Body camera footage released on July 3 from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office showed seven incidents between Feb. 25, 2022 and April 25 2023 in which Lorincz called sheriff’s deputies to complain about neighborhood children, including Owens’ children, playing near her home.
According to the June 6 statement released by the sheriff’s office, Lorincz claimed she was acting in “self-defense” during her interview, but through the investigation “detectives were able to establish that Lorincz’s actions were not justifiable under Florida law.”
Owens’ family called on prosecutors to upgrade the charges against Lorincz from manslaughter to second-degree murder during a virtual press conference on June 27.
Florida State Attorney William “Bill” Gladson said on June 26 there was insufficient evidence to prove such a charge in court.
“As deplorable as the defendant’s actions were in this case, there is insufficient evidence to prove this specific and required element of second-degree murder,” Gladson said.
ABC News reached out to attorneys representing the Owens family for further comment.
(VILNIUS, Lithuania) — President Joe Biden and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Tuesday amid questions about how much the potential sale of U.S. F-16 fighter jets factored into Turkey’s decision to back Sweden’s entry to NATO.
Biden thanked Erdogan for his “diplomacy and courage to take that on” as they held a bilateral meeting at the treaty organization’s annual summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. The two leaders declined to take questions shouted from reporters before the discussion moved behind closed doors.
It was their first face to face sit-down since Turkey agreed to support Sweden joining the alliance, an unexpected move announced the day before the 74th summit kicked off.
Biden earlier Tuesday told ABC News he was “not at all” surprised by the development.
He and Erdogan spoke Sunday in an hour-long call about Sweden’s membership and the issue of U.S. F-16 fighter jets for Ankara.
Turkey has long requested the jets, particularly after it was kicked out of the F-35 warplane program in 2019 for buying Russian S-400 air defense systems, but has faced opposition from U.S. lawmakers.
The U.S. was concerned Russia would learn the F-35’s secrets if there was a Russian-made system in Turkey.
The current sale would include 40 new F-16s as well as kits to upgrade the jets already in Turkey’s possession.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Tuesday the administration intends to move ahead with the sale of the jets to Turkey in consultation with Congress.
But Sullivan brushed off suggestions that Turkey lifting its opposition to Sweden’s bid was linked to the transfer of F-16s.
“President Biden has been clear and unequivocal for months that he’s supported the transfer of F-16s to Turkey, that this is in our national interest,” Sullivan told reporters. “It’s in the interests of NATO that Turkey get that capability. He has placed no caveats or conditions on that in his public and private comments over the past few months and he intends to move forward with that transfer in consultation with Congress,” he said.
Sullivan didn’t elaborate on a timeline for when the F-16s would be sold to Turkey, or whether it would happen before the ratification of Sweden’s membership.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been in active conversations with congressional lawmakers regarding the potential sale, according to a senior administration official.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers in February expressed opposition to Turkey buying the jets until it signed off on Sweden’s bid.
Sen. Bob Menendez, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has long been against the transfer of jets to Turkey over the country’s human rights record and concerns about Turkey’s tensions with Greece. Menendez said Monday he’s in talks with the administration about the issue.
The news that Erdogan was dropping his opposition to Sweden’s entry to NATO followed a meeting between him, Stoltenberg and Sweden Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
In a joint statement, NATO underlined changes Sweden has made to alleviate Turkey’s security concerns, including an expansion to counter-terrorism cooperation. NATO will also ramp up efforts in that arena, establishing a special coordinator for counter-terrorism.
Sweden also agreed to help Turkey’s effort to join the European Union, and to increase economic cooperation between the two countries.
The NATO statement made no mention of F-16 fighter jets, and Stoltenberg on Tuesday dismissed a question of whether they had been an important factor in the final stage of the negotiations.
“There are no other agreements, the agreement is public,” he responded.
(WASHINGTON) — Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville on Tuesday told ABC News that white nationalists shouldn’t all be labeled as “racist” while also insisting he opposes racism — tripling-down on controversial comments that have drawn criticism from Democratic leaders and head-scratching from some of Tuberville’s Republican colleagues.
Tuberville, a former college football coach first elected in 2020, was pressed on his stance by ABC’s Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott, who asked him, “Can you explain why you continue to insist that white nationalists are American?”
Scott was referring to remarks Tuberville made first in May and then again earlier this week, after he was initially asked about military readiness and whether white nationalists should be able to serve.
“Listen, I’m totally against racism. And if Democrats want to say that white nationalists are racist, I’m totally against that, too,” he told Scott on Tuesday.
“But that’s not a Democratic definition,” Scott said.
“Well that’s your definition. My definition is racism is bad,” Tuberville responded.
Scott followed up to say that the definition of a white nationalist is someone believing “the white race is superior to all other races” and asked, “Do you believe that white nationalists are racist?”
“For the senator from Alabama to obscure the racist nature of white nationalism is indeed very, very dangerous,” Schumer said. “His words have power and carry weight with the fringe of his constituency — just the fringe, but if that fringe listens to him, excusing … white nationalism, he is fanning the flames of bigotry and intolerance.”
“I urge my Republican colleagues to impress upon the senator from Alabama the destructive impact of his words and urge him to apologize,” Schumer said.
Tuberville has repeatedly challenged the label of “white nationalism,” suggesting in interviews that he feels it is unfairly applied by Democrats and that the military, in particular, is wrongly focused on removing white nationalists from their ranks.
During a local radio interview in May, Tuberville — who has been blocking certain military nominations over his objections to a Pentagon policy on service member abortion access — was asked about how that could affect military readiness.
When he criticized “Democrats … saying we need to get out the white extremists, the white nationalists,” he was then asked, “Do you believe they should allow white nationalists in the military?”
“Well, they call them that. I call them Americans,” he said.
He went on to condemn “extremists” who overran the Capitol during Jan. 6 but also defended those people whom he said did not actually enter the complex and “were true Americans that believe in this country.”
He criticized a subsequent effort by the military to examine extremism in the ranks. Multiple active-duty service members and veterans have been convicted and sentenced for involvement in Jan. 6.
“Saying we’re going to run out the white nationalists, people that don’t believe how we believe …. that’s not how we do it in this country,” Tuberville said in May.
He later said on CNN that the point he was trying to make was narrower: “Democrats portray all MAGA Republicans as white nationalists. That’s not true, we got a lot of great people in the military that are MAGAs — that’s what I was talking about.”
In a Monday appearance on CNN, Tuberville said there could be conflicting views on white nationalism.
“My opinion of a white nationalist, if someone wants to call them white nationalist, to me is an American,” he said.
But he also said, “If people think a white nationalist is a racist, I agree with that.”
Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., told ABC News on Tuesday that while he did not see the Tuberville appearance on CNN, he made clear that white nationalism has no home in the Republican Party.
“I’m not sure exactly what he was trying to say there, but … I would just say there’s no place for white nationalism in our party and I think that’s kind of full stop,” Thune said.
“I just think when you’re throwing around terms like that, you have to be careful and cautious,” he said, adding, “We are not a racist country. We are not a racist party.”
Thune did not commit to speaking to Tuberville directly about his comments, saying it was possible the Alabama lawmaker said “probably something different than how it perhaps is being interpreted.”
“Hopefully we’ll get a better understanding of what it was he was trying to communicate,” Thune said. “But again, I just would say emphatically there’s no place for that in the party.”
Asked about Schumer’s call for Tuberville to apologize, Thune said that was about politics: “It’s playing right into Schumer’s wheelhouse.”
(NEW YORK) — A dual U.S.-Israeli citizen who has accused President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, of corruption has been charged by federal prosecutors in New York with failing to register as a foreign agent while working to advance the interests of China.
Gal Luft, 57, has also been charged with violating U.S. sanctions on Iran. He remains a fugitive.
According to the indictment, Luft paid an unnamed adviser to then-President Donald Trump to publicly support certain policies favorable to China.
In the weeks before the 2016 presidential election, Luft allegedly created a written “dialogue” between a Chinese national and the Trump adviser, in which Luft wrote the adviser’s responses and included information that was favorable to China. The dialogue was then published in a Chinese newspaper online and sent to, among others, individuals in the United States, including a journalist and professors at multiple U.S. universities, the indictment said.
Shortly after the 2016 election, Luft and the Chinese national discussed possible roles the adviser might have in the Trump administration and also discussed the adviser taking a trip to China, according to the indictment. “[w]e are debating about his role in the new admin,” Luft is quoted as saying. “There are all kinds of considerations … We should talk ftf [face-to-face] as there can be a supremely unique opportunity for China.”
Federal prosecutors also allege that Luft tried to broker illicit arms deals involving China and that he set up meetings between Iranian representatives and a Chinese energy company for the purpose of discussing oil deals.
“As alleged, Gal Luft, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen and co-head of a Maryland think tank, engaged in multiple, serious criminal schemes,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said of the allegations. “He subverted foreign agent registration laws in the United States to seek to promote Chinese policies by acting through a former high-ranking U.S. Government official; he acted as a broker in deals for dangerous weapons and Iranian oil; and he told multiple lies about his crimes to law enforcement.”
Luft was arrested in connection with these charges in February in Cyprus, but fled after he was released on bail. While a fugitive, Luft recorded a video given to the New York Post, claiming his arrest was meant to stop him from appearing before congressional Republicans to answer questions about the Biden family.
Luft has emerged in recent months as a vocal critic of the Bidens, leveling unsubstantiated allegations of corruption against members of the first family. Rep. James Comer, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said on Fox News late Monday that he hoped to interview Luft as part of his investigation into the Biden family, and suggested that the Justice Department was leveraging its powers to target a critic of the president.
“There are a lot of questions here, and it’s just amazing that the Department of Justice moves so quickly against some people,” Comer said.
The criminal charges against Luft were filed under seal in 2022.
Luft defended himself on Twitter in February, saying that he had been arrested overseas and that the U.S. had requested his extradition — an effort he framed as, “DOJ is trying to bury me to protect Joe,Jim&Hunter Biden.”
(DES MOINES, Iowa) — Iowa lawmakers kicked off a special session Tuesday morning with the “sole purpose” of passing legislation that would restrict abortion.
It comes less than a month after the state’s Supreme Court was deadlocked on whether a lower court’s injunction of a six-week abortion ban should be dissolved, leaving the procedure legal in Iowa.
In response, Gov. Kim Reynolds blasted the court’s decision — saying it had failed to exercise its authority — and called for the special session.
“I believe the pro-life movement is the most important human rights cause of our time,” Reynolds said in a statement. “Not only will I continue to fight against the inhumanity of abortion, but I will also remain committed to supporting women in planning for motherhood, promoting fatherhood and parenting, and continuing policies that encourage strong families.”
Because Republicans hold a majority in both the state Senate and the House of Representatives, the new legislation seems likely to pass.
The bill would limit abortion once cardiac activity can be detected, which typically occurs around six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they’re pregnant. Abortion in Iowa is currently legal up to 20 weeks.
There are exceptions for medical emergencies and for rape and incest, as long as they are reported to law enforcement or to a health agency within 45 days and 145 days, respectively.
ABC News reached out to Gov. Reynolds’ office for a request for comment.
If the ban is passed, Iowa will join several other states that have passed so-called “heartbeat bills,” including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota and Texas.
Ohio and South Carolina have also passed six-week abortion bans; both are currently facing legal challenges.
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa tweeted Monday, calling for demonstrators to protest the special session at the Iowa State Capitol.
“Now is the time to get loud and show up in force at the Capitol to fight back against attacks on abortion access,” the group wrote. “Together, we will make our voices heard and hold elected officials accountable for any vote they take to restrict abortion.”
The previous abortion ban, signed into law by Reynolds in 2018, also prevented abortion after six weeks. However, the law was permanently struck down by a district court in January 2019, which ruled that the law violated the Iowa constitution and that there was no state interest in banning abortions so early in pregnancy.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, at least 15 states have ceased nearly all abortion services, according to an ABC News tally.
Newark firefighters Augusto Acabou, left, and Wayne Brooks, Jr., died battling a blaze aboard a cargo ship at Port Newark, July 5, 2023. — Newark Department of Public Safety
(NEWARK, N.J.) — The massive fire aboard a cargo ship filled with cars that took the lives of two Newark firefighters was put out after nearly a week of burning, the U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday morning.
Investigators said they will now begin investigating the cause of the blaze on the Italian freighter Grande Costa D’Avorio. The vessel will then be broken down for scrap.
“The salvage process could easily be one to two months,” Coast Guard Capt. Zeita Merchant said during a news conference.
The most recent tests of the air and water around the ship’s berth indicated they were safe, said Kevin Perry of Gallagher Marine Systems, the company that was hired by the ship’s owner, Grimaldi Group, to extinguish the fire and conduct salvage operations.
Firefighters were dispatched to the Port Newark Container Terminal on June 5 at around 9:30 p.m. ET after receiving a report about multiple vehicles on fire aboard the ship.
The freighter was carrying used cars destined for Africa with a stop in Providence, Rhode Island, in between, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
“The decks of the ship is essentially a parking garage,” Port Director Beth Rooney said. “What we had burning were components and parts of cars.”
Firefighters managed to extinguish the main body of the blaze but the flames had extended to multiple levels of the vessel.
At 10:25 p.m. ET the firefighters called a “Mayday” after two firefighters were trapped inside the ship followed by a second “Mayday” call 15 minutes later, city officials said.
Two Newark firefighters, Augusta Acabou, 45, and Wayne Brooks, 49, were pulled out and later died at the hospital.
Acabou served in the Newark Fire Division for 9 1/2 years and was assigned to Engine 16, Tour 1, according to city officials. Brooks was a veteran of the fire department for 16 1/2 years and was assigned to Ladder 4, Tour 1.
The last time a Newark firefighter was killed on the job was in 2007.
Five other firefighters were injured in the blaze, officials said.
One of the issues encountered by the firefighters was that their two-and-a-half-inch fire hose lines weren’t compatible with the boat’s one-inch connections, a source close to the investigation told ABC News on Thursday.
Instead, the firefighters were forced to use the fire hoses on the ship, which output less water and pressure than they were used to, the source said.
The New Jersey firefighters also weren’t trained to handle blazes that take place on cargo boats, the source said.
(NEW YORK) — President Joe Biden has declared a state of emergency in Vermont, where torrential rainfall triggered “historic and catastrophic” flooding, Gov. Phil Scott said.
Some areas recorded 9 inches of rain as small creeks turned into raging rivers in the worst flooding to hit Vermont since Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.
More than 100 people have been rescued across Vermont so far, officials said Tuesday morning.
No injuries or deaths have been reported, Scott said.
More rescuers are heading to the impacted areas, including teams from Connecticut, Massachusetts and North Carolina, for what officials called a dayslong or weekslong operation. Helicopters from the Vermont and New Hampshire National Guards are also helping with evacuations, officials said.
The threat is ongoing, the governor warned Tuesday, because floodwaters are continuing to rise and more rain is headed to the state to soak the already saturated grounds.
In Vermont’s capital, Montpelier, the Winooski River crested at 21.02 feet, the highest level since 1927.
Montpelier extended its downtown travel ban until 3 p.m. ET Tuesday after the water receded more slowly than initially projected.
“We know that business owners will be anxious to check out their stores but we urge patience,” Montpelier City Manager William Fraser said Monday night.
Scott said he even had to hike to the emergency response center Tuesday morning because the roads around his house “were completely impassable.”
The emergency in Vermont came as heavy rainfall drenched the Northeast from upstate New York to western Maine.
The extreme weather began on Sunday, affecting much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, prompting flash flood alerts in parts of New York. One person was killed in the floodwaters in upstate New York.
The system pushed north on Monday, with the heaviest rainfall hitting Vermont.
The Northeast is expected to get a break from the downpours on Tuesday and Wednesday, but more heavy rain and thunderstorms are in the forecast for the region Thursday, including in New York and Vermont. Another 2 to 4 inches of rainfall is possible.
ABC News’ Victoria Arancio, Peter Charalambous, Alexandra Faul, Matt Foster, Max Golembo and Dan Peck contributed to this report.
