Gov. Phil Scott is once again asking President Biden for a major disaster declaration — this time to help communities in seven counties recover from severe flooding on Dec. 18 and 19, 2023.
If granted, the declaration would not make individual residents or businesses eligible for federal help. According to Vermont's chief recovery officer, Doug Farnham, the destruction wasn't extensive enough to meet the thresholds that would trigger that kind of federal aid.
But state officials expect the $1.9 million in damage to public infrastructure should be enough to unlock a 75% FEMA reimbursement for eligible expenses incurred by municipalities in Essex, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Windham and Windsor counties. That would defray the cost of debris removal, road and public building repairs, and staff overtime.
The declaration request also seeks funding from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program — federal aid that provides a 75% reimbursement for projects anywhere in the state that reduces the likelihood of damage to public infrastructure in future disasters.
“As Vermont continues to recover from last year’s flooding events, it is clear more federal support will be needed to help communities rebuild,” Scott said in a statement. “As we do so, it will be critical to make improvements to ensure greater resilience to future severe weather events, that we know will become increasingly common."
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