Gov. Peter Shumlin is asking for a federal disaster declaration to help communities in Chittenden, Lamoille and Essex counties recover from damage caused by flash flooding and high winds last month.
Shumlin's requests says on the night of May 23 thunderstorms dropped 5 to 7 inches of rain in a matter of hours that caused flash flooding in streams and tributaries that severely damaged roads, bridges and homes in the towns of Essex, Jericho, Underhill, Westford, Cambridge and Jeffersonville.
The state needs to show that the storms caused at least $1 million in damage to be eligible for a public assistance disaster declaration. Shumlin says a partial assessment shows at least $1.5 million in damages and that the hardest hit areas are on target with their per capita assessments.
