Flood Update | August 26
Disaster declaration opens the door to federal aid for individuals, cities and towns
August 28, 2024 | By Lisa Scagliotti More than a month after the July 9-11 storm caused major flooding and flash-flooding damage across wide swaths of Vermont, the White House has declared the event a major disaster, opening the door to Vermont residents and municipalities to receive federal assistance.
July 11, 2024: North Main Street in Waterbury is under water. Photo by Gordon Miller
“The impact of this storm on communities and individuals has been significant, and while these federal resources won’t alleviate all of those burdens, this financial support is critical to our state’s recovery,” said Gov. Phil Scott. “I appreciate President Biden and FEMA’s support, and we’re ready to help Vermonters and municipalities throughout recovery.”
The storm that lashed across Vermont was the remnants of Hurricane Beryl. The declaration came last week on Aug. 20 from President Joe Biden, approving disaster assistance for seven Vermont counties: Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Lamoille, Orleans, and Washington. The governor’s office noted that Vermont has requested that Orange County be added to the declaration and it is still awaiting a decision.
And in a separate announcement today, Vermont Department of Labor announced that federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance benefits will be available to Vermonters left without work due to the flooding and storm impact on July 9-11.
On Saturday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency opened the state’s first Disaster Recovery Center at the Barre Auditorium to assist Vermonters with applications for federal aid. The center will be open daily 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and appointments are not necessary.
FEMA assistance is meant to help cover costs not reimbursed by insurance and other forms of aid. The maximum individual award is $41,000, according to Vermont Emergency Management information. Individual assistance covers a wide range of disaster-related expenses such as temporary housing, child care, cleanup, home repairs, moving, storage, repair and replacement of vehicles, to name a few.
How to request assistance
Applications for FEMA assistance may be done in person at the disaster recovery center, online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by phone 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585). FEMA also has an online app. More details are online pertaining to the Vermont Disaster Declaration 4810 at fema.gov/disaster/4810. Vermont Emergency Management also has more specifics online and links to begin the FEMA process.
State officials emphasize that even if you have previously reported damage to Vermont 2-1-1, you must register with and apply to FEMA for federal financial assistance.
In Waterbury, volunteers with the long-term flood recovery group, The CReW will schedule FEMA assistance clinics in the next few months to assist local residents with the process. In the meantime, anyone with an immediate question may contact CReW at outreach@thecrewvt.org.
July 11, 2024 on Elm Street in Waterbury. Photo by Gordon Miller
Unemployment Assistance available
The disaster declaration also makes available federal aid to assist those who lost work or their jobs due to the disaster. “Our immediate priority is to ensure that individuals whose employment was impacted by the flooding can receive the benefits they desperately need,” Vermont Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington said on Monday.
Individuals living, working, or scheduled to work in the counties named in the declaration may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance. This includes independent contractors, self-employed individuals, and agricultural workers. The first step is applying for regular unemployment benefits and the Department of Labor will determine if the claimant is eligible. If regular unemployment does not apply, the department will steer the individual to the disaster assistance. The deadline to apply for disaster unemployment assistance is Oct. 25.
Some examples of eligible claims would include a situation where an individual was injured and unable to work due to the disaster; instances where workplaces were damaged or destroyed by the disaster and workers were unable to work there; situations where someone’s mode of transportation was no longer available due to the disaster; or simply that someone’s income comes from areas affected by the disaster and that business was harmed by the disaster.
Find more details about Disaster Unemployment Assistance online at labor.vermont.gov/dua or by calling the Vermont UI Claimant Assistance Center at 1-877-214-3330.
FEMA does not assist business owners directly. Small Business Administration loans are available for disaster recovery costs and the state of Vermont has a $20 million grant program for businesses and nonprofits called the Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program through the Department of Economic Development. This program applies to affected businesses from flooding in 2023 and 2024 and aims to assist companies that plan on “restoring, reopening, and bringing their employees back to work as soon as possible,” according to the program’s website.
Assistance for municipalities
The declaration also opens up federal funding to assist municipalities in the included counties with helping cover the costs of repairs to public infrastructure such as roads and bridges damaged by flooding. The Public Assistance program allows communities to receive 75% reimbursement for emergency storm repairs to public infrastructure.
Waterbury’s Municipal Manager Tom Leitz said the town just recently received payment for reimbursement of over $100,000 in costs associated with road repairs for flood damage in July 2023. The current estimate of road damage costs from the July 9-11 storm is $400,000 which includes the repairs to roads, culverts, etc., material and supplies, and the staff time put in on response and repairs.
Leitz said the process takes time to ultimately receive the reimbursement, but it is a familiar one now given the multiple flooding events the town has experienced in the past year. “We are all used to their processes, and FEMA assigns us reps that work pretty closely with us to get our applications through the system,” he said.
Awaiting word on more
Photo by Gordon Miller
This declaration does not cover damage to private and public property caused by storms on July 30. The governor’s office said that a separate FEMA major disaster declaration request will be made for that storm soon. Homeowners and renters should still report damages and losses related to the July 30 storm to VERMONT 2-1-1. State officials urge Vermont individuals and municipalities that suffered damage in all recent storms to continue to clean up and make repairs, taking photos along the way and thoroughly documenting expenses.
To assist farmers, the governor’s office also noted that Vermont has requested a natural disaster designation for multiple counties which will allow the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency to extend emergency credit to agricultural producers recovering from natural disasters. The loans could help cover losses on crops and livestock holdings.