Flood Update | Sept. 15: New hours at FEMA centers including in Waterbury
Block party raises $3,700 for flood recovery
September 15, 2024 | By Waterbury RoundaboutThe Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced changes in operations and hours at six Disaster Recovery Centers across Vermont starting this week, including at the center in the Waterbury Armory.
File photo
As of Sept. 15, four of the centers – including the one in Waterbury – will no longer be open on Sundays and daily hours have been slightly shortened. The new hours of operation will be Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until further notice. This applies to the centers in:
Waterbury at the Waterbury Armory, 294 Armory Drive
Barre at Barre Municipal Auditorium, 20 Auditorium Hill
Lyndonville at the Lyndon Public Safety Building, 316 Main Street
Island Pond at Brighton Town Hall Gym, 49 Mill Street
Notes on the other two Vermont centers: The center in Hinesburg at Town Hall will remain open on Sundays. Its schedule will be every day, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until further notice. The Plainfield center at Goddard College was to close permanently at the end of the day on Sept. 15.
Officials said that adjustments are made to the centers’ schedules based on the volume of visitors.
The centers are staffed with FEMA staff and U.S. Small Business Administration representatives to work with individuals who experienced damage and losses from flooding this summer. They can help explain available assistance and help applicants navigate claims for reimbursement for disaster-related expenses and applications for low-interest loans. No appointments are needed in advance.
All centers are accessible to people with disabilities and functional needs and are equipped with assistive technology equipment. Anyone needing ae accommodation or sign language interpreter, please call 1-833-285-7448
In addition to visiting a disaster recovery center in person, affected individuals may apply for assistance in other ways:
Online at DisasterAssistance.gov, the FEMA website.
By phone at 1-800-621-3362. Those using a video relay service, captioned telephone service or others may give FEMA their number for that service. Phone lines operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.
FEMA’s Mobile App is another avenue. Select “Disaster Resources” and click on “Apply for Assistance Online.”
Disaster assistance for businesses
The Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program (BEGAP) portal run by the state of Vermont is open and businesses may submit applications for grants to help with losses due to the 2023 and/or 2024 flood damage.
Businesses including nonprofits that had property damage should check out the visit BEGAP webpage to learn more. State economic development staff also have recorded a webinar covering the application process along with some Q/A information.
Block party raises $3,700 for flood recovery
A scene from the Hell or High Water block party courtesy of Blackback Pub
The Elm Street Hell or High Water block party held on Aug. 10 raised $3,700 in donations for CReW, the Community Resilience for the Waterbury Area long-term flood-recovery nonprofit.
Nathan Dunbar, co-owner of the Vermont Beer Collective, estimated the crowd at about 500 attendees. Afterward, he and other organizers met with representatives from CReW to deliver a check for the proceeds of $3,700.
“The event took a lot of people, a lot of work, and a little bit of time...it was a huge success for the community, for our local economy, and also for flood relief,” Dunbar said.
L to R: Mike Dacey, CReW construction manager; Kate Roberge, CReW outreach coordinator; Ehren Hill, co-owner at Blackback Pub; Nathan Dunbar, co-owner, Vermont Beer Collective; Liz Schlegel, CReW vice chai; Kenzie Brunner, marketing communications manager for Vermont Mountain Bike Association; Jacqueline de Achaval and Jennifer McCabe-de Achaval, Paprika Catering Company. Photo by Ashley Rosemeyer