Vermont’s Worst Roads – TheDailyChristian

Vermont’s Worst Roads to Drive on During a Disaster — And How to Survive Them Behind the Wheel

By: A Well-Traveled Survivalist

Let me be clear—when disaster strikes, roads become more than routes. They become lifelines, battlegrounds, and bottlenecks. I’ve driven through hurricanes in Florida, wildfire evacuations in California, and flash floods in Texas. But Vermont? Vermont’s got a whole different beast when it comes to bad roads during bad times.

Between its winding mountain passes, frost-heaved asphalt, and dense tree cover, the Green Mountain State turns into a trap when the lights go out or the weather gets mean. Whether it’s a Nor’easter burying Route 100 under three feet of snow or a flash flood taking out bridges in Windham County, if you’re not prepared to drive like your life depends on it—you’re already a victim.

Let me walk you through the worst roads to avoid (or conquer) and then arm you with 15 crucial survival driving skills. And for those who really find themselves neck-deep in trouble, I’ve got three DIY hacks to keep you moving even when the tank runs dry.

Vermont’s Worst Roads During a Disaster

Here’s a short list of Vermont roads that’ll break your spirit (or your axle) in a disaster:

Route 100 (from Killington to Waterbury) – Winding, narrow, and one rockslide away from being impassable. Gorgeous in fall, deathtrap in winter.
Route 9 (Bennington to Brattleboro) – Prone to flooding, steep inclines, and black ice. This one gets shut down regularly in Nor’easters.
Interstate 89 (Montpelier to Burlington) – The main artery in and out of Central Vermont. In a mass exodus, this becomes a clogged mess.
Route 107 (Stockbridge area) – Mountain passes and not enough guardrails. One good rainstorm and you’re on mud.
Route 17 (App Gap) – Twists like a snake and climbs fast. A driver’s nightmare in snow or fog.
Kelly Stand Road (Searsburg) – Dirt and isolation. You’ll lose cell service and possibly your undercarriage.
Route 108 (Smugglers’ Notch) – Seasonally closed, but people still try to push through. Don’t be one of them.
Lincoln Gap Road – Just avoid it. It’s basically a hiking trail someone paved.
Route 15 (Hardwick to Morristown) – Flooding danger, especially during late spring thaw.
Danby Mountain Road – Off-grid and often washed out. The sort of place AAA won’t find you.

15 Survival Driving Skills for Disaster Conditions

You can have the best 4×4 on the market, but without the skills to match, you’re still a target. Here’s what every survivalist driver needs to master:

Off-Road Navigation – Learn to read terrain and use topographic maps. GPS is unreliable in power outages or remote terrain.
Throttle Feathering – Control your gas pedal in slippery conditions. Over-acceleration leads to spinning out or getting stuck.
Tire Patching and Plugging – Know how to plug a tire on the fly. Keep a kit in your glove box, and practice before it matters.
Field Tire Inflation – A hand pump or portable compressor can save your ride. Drop PSI on snow; boost it back for gravel.
Braking in Skid Conditions – Don’t slam the brakes. Learn threshold braking and cadence braking for older vehicles without ABS.
River and Flood Crossing Judgment – Never guess depth. A 12-inch current can float most vehicles. Know when to turn back.
Spotting Hazards Ahead – Train your eyes to read the road 15 seconds ahead. It buys you time to react or reroute.
Driving in Reverse at Speed – Sounds crazy? Try navigating a narrow escape route in reverse without stalling or crashing.
Using Mirrors Like a Pro – Your mirrors are your sixth sense. Check every 10 seconds. Blind spots kill in disasters.
Utilizing Low Gears – Downshift for better control in snow, mud, or downhill slopes. Don’t burn your brakes.
Driving in Convoy Formation – Stick to 3-second gaps, signal intentions, and never bunch up. Panic leads to pileups.
Navigating Without Lights – Cover tail lights with tape if you’re bugging out at night. Stay under the radar.
Knowing When to Ditch – If your car’s stuck and burning gas, abandon it and hike. Your life is worth more than your ride.
Distraction-Free Driving – Silence the phone. Every second counts. Your focus is your strongest survival tool.
Fuel Conservation Techniques – Coast when you can. Idle as little as possible. Draft behind large vehicles (safely) to reduce drag.

3 DIY Survival Driving Hacks When You’re Out of Gas

When the needle’s on E and there’s no gas station for 50 miles, ingenuity keeps you moving. Here are three tricks I’ve used or witnessed in the field:

Siphon and Filter
If you’re in a pinch and spot an abandoned vehicle, you can siphon gas with a tube and gravity. Just make sure to filter it through a shirt, coffee filter, or even moss to catch debris before pouring it into your tank.
Alcohol-Based Emergency Burn
In a gasoline shortfall, denatured alcohol or isopropyl (91% or higher) can be used sparingly in older engines. This is for carbureted engines only—fuel-injected systems may not tolerate it well. It’s risky, but it can get you a few extra miles.
Pressurized Bottle Fuel Pump
Repurpose a soda bottle with a tire valve stem and a bit of hose. Pressurize the bottle with a bike pump and gravity-feed fuel into your engine. This works best with lawn equipment fuel tanks but can keep an old ATV alive in a pinch.

Final Thoughts From the Road

Survival is about preparation, skill, and knowing when to go and when to stay put. Vermont’s roads don’t forgive ignorance or indecision. In a disaster, they get slick, jammed, or vanish altogether. I’ve seen Subarus stranded and lifted trucks washed out. It’s not about what you drive—it’s how you drive it.

Know your routes. Scout secondary options. Keep maps printed and waterproofed. Fuel up before a storm, not after. And for the love of all that’s holy, don’t trust your GPS when the sky’s falling—it doesn’t know that the bridge on Route 9 washed out last night.

Disasters favor the prepared and punish the reckless. Be the first, not the second.