Flood update | July 23-27
July 23, 2024 | By Lisa ScagliottiThis post was updated on July 27.
Flood Update July 27 —————————
Weekend shifts are available to assist with flood recovery work in and around Waterbury this Saturday-Sunday, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Organizers welcome volunteers who can spend any time from a few hours or all day. Tasks include work crews assisting in homes, people with trucks assisting with getting trash to dumpsters, canvassers to check in with local residents to determine needs. Snack donations are also appreciated.
Here’s the link to the online signup. For more information and to request assistance with flood-recovery work at your home, visit the CReW website.
Vermont State Housing Authority: Rental assistance is available for those displaced by recent flooding
The Vermont State Housing Authority shared this message this week ~
On July 11, 2024, while the community should have been reflecting on the collective hard work that it took to rebuild from the flooding of July 2023; instead, we were watching, worrying, evacuating, cleaning up, and putting back together… AGAIN.
While the Vermont State Housing Authority cannot replace your home, we may be able to provide rental assistance in another home if you have been displaced due to the flooding we experienced in Vermont this July.
Income and eligibility requirements apply. To learn more visit the Vermont State Housing Authority website or call 888-406-4003 to request a paper application. Information is also available by calling 211.
VSHA has been providing rental assistance to Vermont’s most vulnerable since 1968. Its mission is “to ensure that quality affordable housing opportunities are available to Vermonters statewide.” Staff want to help meet Vermonters’ needs after this disaster.
Flood Update July 23—————————
Flood recovery work continues in Waterbury and surrounding towns this week with organizers putting out a call for volunteers today, Wednesday and Friday.
Items from a flooded basement on South Main Street. Photo by Gordon Miller
The local CReW long-term recovery group serving Waterbury, Bolton, Duxbury, Moretown and Middlesex is collecting reports and requests from residents in flood-affected homes in particular to direct volunteers to assist with cleanup and mold remediation, provide supplies and guidance.
Volunteer shifts to assist with this effort are scheduled for today, Wednesday and Friday with evening shifts today and Wednesday. Signing up helps organizers plan. Visit thecrewvt.org website for the volunteer signup form.
Also on the CReW website is information on how to request assistance with cleanup and other flood-recovery tasks. Email outreach@thecrewvt.org, or use this online form, or call 802-585-1152 and leave a message (this line is monitored closely for return calls).
Those coordinating the local response also remind the public to report flood damage to the state online at vermont211.org. Homeowners, tenants, business owners, etc. should file reports on any flood-related damage to property including vehicles, driveways and buildings. The reports are collected to help direct those with information on resources and they count towards the overall calculation that state and federal officials will make to determine whether Vermont receives federal disaster relief assistance.
State opens Flood Recovery Centers
Meanwhile the state of Vermont on Monday announced that it is opening several State Flood Recovery Centers in Barre, Hinesburg, Lyndonville and Plainfield.
Vermont is still awaiting a determination on whether any counties are eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency public assistance to municipalities or individual assistance, state officials noted. The state centers will help those impacted by the recent floods as they navigate the recovery process nonetheless.
The centers are open to all Vermont residents and will be set up as hubs for public and private organizations to locate in order to assist those affected by the disaster.
Representatives from several state and non-profit agencies involved in individual disaster recovery will be present to answer questions refer people to the appropriate services.
The centers will be equipped to provide:
Snacks and water from the Red Cross
Cleaning kits
Assistance finding recovery resources
Mental health services
Basic medical services
The centers will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the following locations on the days noted for each. Residents are encouraged to visit the center most convenient to them.
Barre: Mondays and Fridays
Barre Municipal Auditorium, 16 Auditorium Hill, BarrePlainfield: Wednesdays and Sundays
Plainfield Health Center, 157 Towne Ave, PlainfieldLyndonville: Tuesdays and Saturdays
Vermont State University, Grey House, 180 Vail Drive, LyndonvilleHinesburg: Thursdays
Champlain Valley Union High School, 369 CVU Road, Hinesburg
More information about Flood Recovery Centers can be found on Vermont Emergency Management’s Flood Recovery Centers webpage or by calling 2-1-1.
Links to more information/resources
Find local information at the top of the Waterbury town website, waterburyvt.com. Flood resource information is on a Google document there with details about financial assistance, where to donate to assist the local effort, tips on cleanup, and other helpful resources.
ROAD CLOSURES: Listed for Waterbury on the town website. Also check the Waterbury Roundabout Road Updates page for the latest information and links. (see button at the top of the website pages)
CReW website: thecrewvt.org
Waterbury Area Good Neighbor Fund for emergency financial assistance
Vermont Realtors Association has $500 grants for those with flood losses
Waterbury Common Market (formerly the food shelf) - open to all local residents
Washington County Mental Health has ongoing free short-term crisis counseling available as part of its flood-response effort. CReW has information on the program that provides 3-5 sessions free of charge. Counselors are available to work one-on-one, with families, small groups, etc. For more information and to schedule a visit, call 802-229-0591. For more information, visit the Vermont Department of Mental Health at mentalhealth.vermont.gov/flood