State officials say it would not have helped to issue more extensive evacuation orders before the arrival of Tropical Storm Irene, because it was impossible to tell where flooding would be at its worst.
Both Governor Peter Shumlin and Senator Patrick Leahy say there are several instances around the state where one town was unscathed, while another in the same river valley was devastated.
Leahy said today there was concern that telling people to go to another location would have put them in more danger than if they stayed home.
Both Leahy and Shumlin were responding to criticism voiced by some in the national media that Vermont was not aggressive enough about ordering evacuations.