Flood Update | Oct. 9
October 9, 2024 | By Waterbury Roundabout FEMA extends application deadline to Nov. 25
The FEMA Disaster Recovery Center at the Waterbury Armory is open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. No appointments needed. Photo by Gordon Miller
The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday, Oct. 8, announced that Vermonters affected by both July severe weather events now have until November 25 to apply for FEMA individual assistance.
This deadline applies to applications connected with the July 9-11 disaster which has been extended from Oct. 21 to Nov. 25 for individuals and households in Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Lamoille, Orleans, and Washington counties.
The deadline already was Nov. 25 for the July 29-31 disaster that affected Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom counties.
Those affected are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. FEMA may be able to help with temporary housing, home repairs, privately owned roads and bridges, and other disaster-related needs. The sooner applicants file, the sooner they will receive aid.
Ways to apply: Online at DisasterAssistance.gov; by phone to the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362; using FEMA’s Mobile App; or visit a Disaster Recovery Center. The closest center is at the Waterbury Armory at 294 Armory Drive in downtown Waterbury. Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
SBA Loan application deadline is Oct. 21
The U.S. Small Business Administration staff working with Vermonters recovering from the summer floods remind the public that Oct. 21 is the filing deadline to apply for loans to help with loans to cover disaster-related costs.
Businesses, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners and renters in Vermont who were affected by the severe storms, flooding, landslides, etc. that happened on July 9-11 may apply for loans to help repair physical damage.
The SBA is the largest provider of disaster recovery funds to repair, replace or relocate for homeowners, renters, and businesses/nonprofits, even beyond FEMA.
The SBA emphasizes that applicants need not wait to settle with their insurance company before applying for a disaster loan. If a survivor does not know how much of their loss will be covered by insurance or other sources, SBA can make a low-interest disaster loan for the total loss up to its loan limits, provided the borrower agrees to use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay the loan, SBA officials note.
The pertinent federal disaster declaration covers Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden Essex, Lamoille, Orleans and Washington counties. Businesses and individuals in these locations may be eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA.
Those impacted by a disaster are encouraged to simultaneously apply for FEMA grants and SBA low-interest disaster loan assistance to fully recover. FEMA grants are intended to cover necessary expenses and serious needs not paid by insurance or other sources. SBA disaster loans are designed for long-term recovery, to make you whole and get you back to your pre-disaster condition.
The SBA’s Disaster Loans funds come directly from the U.S. Treasury; there is no cost to apply and no obligation to take the loan if it is offered. No monthly payments or interest are required for the first year of the loan and low interest rates are fixed for either 15 or 30 years. Applicants who have a prior SBA loan may apply for a new loan.
The SBA also may increase loan amounts up to 20% of the physical damage costs for mitigation purposes such as insulating pipes, walls and attics, weather-stripping doors and windows, installing storm windows, etc. – steps to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by a disaster.
More information and applications are online at sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or email to
disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
Submit loan applications to SBA by Oct. 21; the deadline to submit economic injury applications is May 20, 2025.
Saturday Concert for a Cause supports flood recovery
Twangtown Paramours. Courtesy photo
Concerts for a Cause performances resume at the Warren United Church on Saturday, Oct. 12, with a benefit for ongoing flood-recovery efforts in Vermont.
Twangtown Paramours, a Nashville husband-wife duo who makes the Mad River Valley their part-time home, returns for this show at 6 p.m.
This concert is free but donations are welcomed to support the VT Flood Response and Recovery Fund. See more details here.
CReW office hours continue in new location
Several weeks ago, the post-flood community effort shifted from response to recovery and the volunteers packed up the supplies, gear and snacks from the Steele Community Room at the municipal offices.
But the core volunteers with the long-term recovery group, CReW – Community Resiliency for the Waterbury Area – are continuing to show up for office hours two days a week in a new space on South Main Street.
From 1 to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, CReW will have members available “for the foreseeable future,” they say.
They will be using the conference room at the Revitalizing Waterbury office space on the second floor at 46 S. Main St. Enter through the doors facing the parking lot between 46 S. Main and Bargain Boutique and follow the signs to the RW offices.
Focused on the long-term flood recovery work, CReW members can assist with navigating FEMA claims (and appeals), taking mitigation and resiliency steps at your home, and providing a variety of support for those who had flood-impacted households.
No appointments are necessary. Stop by during the office hours window or sent an email to info@crewvt.org if you'd like assistance with anything flood-recovery-related or to learn more about CReW's mission.
More is online at thecrewvt.org.
Apply by Oct. 25 for Disaster Unemployment Assistance
The Vermont Department of Labor reminds Vermonters impacted by the July 9-11 flooding that the federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance benefits application deadline is Oct. 25 for those living or working in eligible counties.
The Biden administration and Federal Emergency Management Administration approved Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Lamoille, Orleans and Washington counties as federal disaster areas from the July 9-11 floods.
Individuals living, working or scheduled to work in these counties may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance including independent contractors, self-employed individuals, and agricultural workers.
Those seeking assistance through the DUA program must first file for regular unemployment benefits. As part of that process, applicants should note that their employment was impacted by the disaster.
The Vermont Department of Labor will determine if the claimant is eligible for regular unemployment first, as required by FEMA. If the claimant is deemed ineligible for regular unemployment insurance, the applicant will be provided with the DUA application.
Eligible Vermonters can collect benefits for the weeks during which they meet the necessary program criteria. The first payable benefit week was identified as July 9-11.
Examples of eligible Disaster Unemployment Assistance claims may include:
The claimant was injured in the disaster and is unable to work, whether they are an employee or self-employed;
The claimant’s workplace was damaged, destroyed, or not in operation as a result of the disaster;
The claimant’s transportation to work is not available as a direct result of the disaster;
The claimant cannot get to their job because they must travel through an impacted area and are unable to do so as a direct result of the disaster;
The claimant was about to begin working, but the job no longer exists as a direct result of the disaster;
Most of the claimant’s income comes from areas affected by the disaster, whether they work for themselves or an employer, and their business is adversely impacted as a direct result of the disaster.
Everyone who may be eligible is encouraged to apply before the Oct. 25 deadline. More information is online at labor.vermont.gov/dua or call the Unemployment Insurance Claimant Assistance Center at 1-877-214-3330.