Troubled bridge underwater: video captures covered bridge collapse

Hurricane Irene brought unexpectedly disastrous floods to the state of Vermont--the worst in 75 years or "perhaps ever," according to Governor Peter Shumlin. The epic storm caused massive flooding, 250 road closures and one death.

But the most striking image many have taken from reports on the state's ordeal stems from the damage to its historic covered bridges. Two of the structures were completely destroyed: One bridge washed away in Woodstock, Vt., and one viral video caught the Bartonsville Bridge just as it collapsed into the Williams River in Rockingham, Vt.

You can watch the bridge fall down here. And you can see the broader destruction wrought by Hurricane Irene in the video below:

The video quickly captured the attention of the online world, logging more than 400,500 views so far.

New York also lost an antique in the storm. The Blenheim covered bridge on Schoharie Creek in upstate New York is no more--which means that it has also lost its status as the longest covered bridge in the world, at 210 feet, according to the New York Times.

Both the Bartonsville and the Blenheim bridges were on the National Register of Historic Places. The Bartonsville bridge, heavily used, is expected to be replaced.

Despite its comparatively sparse population, Vermont still boasts an impressive collection of 100 covered bridges.