When a series of coastal storms inundated Little Beach early this year, it was the first time in recent memory that rising water left people stranded in vulnerable neighborhoods. And with the barrier beach eroding and the sea level rising, officials predict it’ll happen again.
When it does, the town will be ready to deploy its new high-water rescue vehicle to get rescuers into flooded areas and to get any stranded residents out to high ground.
The two-and-a-half-ton truck is capable of driving through more than three feet of standing water, Fire Chief Peter Connick said. It was built in 1998 as a Stewart and Stevenson LMTV, or light medium tactical vehicle, and was assigned to the Vermont National Guard.
“We’re pretty happy,” Connick said. The truck is fully functional now and under the jurisdiction of the emergency management department.