August 16, 2023  |  By Lisa Scagliotti

Updates to flood-recovery resources, information and events have been landing over the past several days. Here are some highlights to add to the recent Flood Update posts found in the Flood Update page on Waterbury Roundabout.

Volunteering & resources list

Waterbury Flood Recovery Coordinator Tom Drake shared a list with 15 separate financial resources for flood-impacted individuals and businesses. Scroll down for that list at the bottom of this post. It’s also online here.

The town website Waterburyvt.com still has a flood-response page with a resource document containing numerous links with details on registering for FEMA aid, requesting volunteer assistance, volunteering to assist those in need with various projects, etc.

Over the next few days, volunteers will be needed to assist Thursday, Friday, and Saturday to canvass the flood-impacted neighborhoods and assess the short- and long-term needs. Drake is looking for volunteers to go out in pairs to knock on doors and possibly others to help with phone calling to those who can’t be reached in person. There are multiple time slots available on the volunteer sign up page.

To contact Tom Drake, send an email to waterburyhelp@gmail.com or call 802-585-1152 (a message-only phone number; leave a message for a call back).

FEMA center hours & Help with preserving valuables

The FEMA Disaster Recovery Center remains open at the Waterbury Armory, 294 Armory Drive, with new hours: Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed on Sundays. No appointments are needed.

FEMA assistance is available for individuals and businesses and people have until Sept. 12 to open a claim.

On Friday and Saturday, FEMA will have experts from the Heritage Emergency National Task Force coming to Barre, Montpelier and Johnson with a program called Save Your Family Treasures from the Smithsonian Institution. This is a chance to learn how to save, protect and recover household treasures damaged by flooding.

This service will be available Friday 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at these FEMA Disaster Recovery Center locations:

Barre Auditorium, 16 Auditorium Hill, Barre
Vermont College of Fine Arts, 36 College St, Montpelier
Northern VT University, McClelland Hall, 131 College Hill Rd, Johnson

All of FEMA’s information regarding the July storms and flooding in Vermont can be found online at fema.gov/disaster/4720 including recent bulletins about what FEMA funds can be used for and a fact sheet to cover myths vs. facts regarding FEMA assistance.

Friday volunteer thank-you celebration

*Volunteers on during a clean-up day recently. Photo by Gordon Miller*

Jeremy and Georgia Ayers are inviting the community to a thank you celebration to salute the volunteers who helped flood-affected families and businesses “and our incredibly strong and connected community” as they put it.

The get-together is planned for the courtyard at 18 Elm Street this Friday, Aug. 18, from 6 to 9 pm. “We'll be toasting the volunteer efforts and drier days to come!” they said.
People are invited to BYOB, a picnic and blankets to spread out on the lawn. This is weather-dependent. Should the forecast not cooperate, they will put out a message on Friday morning. (This post will be updated.)

*Trash and debris deposited by flood waters along the Winooski River near the Bolton Falls Dam and along River Road, Duxbury. Photo by Gordon Miller*

Save the date: Flood Recovery Clean-Up Day Aug. 26

Gov. Phil Scott and Green Up Vermont this week announced a statewide Flood Recovery Clean Up Day scheduled for Saturday, August 26. Volunteers are needed to help clean up areas where trash and other debris have collected as a result of the July flood.

Details including a sign up can be found on the greenupvermont.org website. There is not a specific clean up planned in Waterbury but one of the sites on the Green Up Vermont list is along the River Road in Duxbury near the Bolton Falls Dam. Photos by Waterbury Roundabout photographer Gordon Miller captured the scene there in July where trash is scattered about the riverbank after floodwaters receded. The images helped land the spot on the clean-up list.

A trash container will be near the dam and volunteers are needed to work there as well as along River Road starting at both the Jonesville end and the Duxbury end.

Good Neighbor Fund contact

During the month of August, Nora Miller is the contact for the Waterbury Good Neighbor Fund which is assisting local residents with expenses related to flood impacts. Call or text Nora at (207)-664-8871.

Rev. Peter Plagge at the Waterbury Congregational Church will have limited availability this month. Other contact info is the Waterbury Congregational church (802) 244-6606 or email to wby.gnf@gmail.com.

Legal assistance for businesses

On Tuesday, Vermont Law and Graduate School's Entrepreneurial Legal Laboratory announced a new legal assistance program to support businesses impacted by recent flooding.

It will coordinate with volunteer attorneys to provide free legal assistance and education to businesses navigating the legal complexities of flood recovery.

The Vermont Law School group is working with New Orleans-based Emergency Legal

Responders, the only organization in the U.S. focused on disaster rights advocacy. It will train volunteer attorneys to assist with:
Applying for FEMA and Small Business Association loans
Negotiating insurance claims and leases
Managing appeals for FEMA applications
Educating about other legal matters pertinent to recovery

Those involved will look to reach businesses where they are with in-person educational meetings in impacted areas as recovery proceeds. Upon request, the program will join business and informational town meetings to let community members know about the legal support available as they recover.

The Vermont Bar Association has sought attorneys to assist businesses and individuals with flood-recovery work. The Vermont Law School program will help match up lawyers with businesses and individuals with specific legal needs.

“By remodeling our pre-existing program and offering legal support during this critical time, we aim to help the community recover and rebuild effectively,” said Nicole Killoran, director of Vermont Law and Graduate School's Entrepreneurial Legal Laboratory.

Businesses impacted by the 2023 floods in need of legal assistance can request support at this link.
Homeowners, renters and businesses impacted by floods seeking legal assistance can find support through the Vermont Bar Association program at vtbar.org.
Attorneys interested in volunteering for these programs can sign up at this link.

Financial resources for those affected by flooding.

This list was complied by the Waterbury Flood Recovery Team.

Flood Recovery Update: Weds., August 16