Gov. Peter Shumlin requested federal assistance for Vermont to help pay for damage done in the ice storm that hit the northwest part of the state in late December.
The request, submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), covers Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille and Orleans counties.
A damage assessment beginning Jan. 2 looked at more than $3 million in damage in the state due to the ice storm, according to the governor’s office. Those assessments are well over the $1 million damage threshold required to qualify for a disaster declaration.
According to a release from Shumlin’s office, communities and public utilities will be eligible for reimbursement for 75 percent of qualifying storm-related costs if the emergency declaration is approved.
The state must now wait for a declaration from President Barack Obama, who has ultimate authority over federal disaster declarations.
