As the third anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene nears, dozens of Vermont homeowners are still waiting for buyouts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Most buyout applications are for homes severely damaged in Irene. A few are the result of flooding in the spring of 2012.
Vermont State Hazard Mitigation Officer Ray Doherty knows three years is a long time, but he says the application process is complex.
“Getting all the necessary documentation often would take three, four, five or six months, often longer,” says Doherty.“Then we would submit it to FEMA and in some cases we can wait six months to a year or longer before we get a response from FEMA.”
Vermont State Hazard Mitigation Officer Ray Doherty says there is a laundry list of steps that precede an actual closing.
Even after approval, Vermont State Hazard Mitigation Officer Ray Doherty says there is a laundry list of steps that precede the actual closing.
Other factors are also contributing to the time it's taking to complete the process.
Some applications weren’t submitted to the state until sometime after the flood damage, and understaffing at the Boston FEMA office is slowing the process.
Doherty says to date, out of 156 hazard mitigation buyout applications submitted by the state on behalf of Vermont homeowners, nearly one-third have yet to be approved by FEMA.
"After Tropical Storm Irene and the ravages of that flooding, people and communities are much more aware of what could happen, so they've being much more proactive." - Vermont State Hazard Mitigation Officer Ray Doherty
"They're calling you week after week asking when is my grant going to be approved. Managing expectations has been quite a challenge for us," he says.
Doherty says of 108 applications that have been approved, 76 have been closed, with the homeowners receiving buyout checks.
Doherty says of 108 applications that have been approved, 76 have been closed, with the homeowners receiving buyout checks.
In 2012 FEMA made changes to the mitigation grant program that made funds available for either elevating, or buying, demolishing and returning to greenspace homes that are located in flood vulnerable areas - regardless of whether they were affected by recent flooding.
FEMA calculates that it’s less costly to remove or improve high risk properties before they’re flooded, instead of paying for repeated repairs.
Doherty says a number of communities are taking advantage of those changes to apply on behalf of homeowners for funds that will be used to elevate houses above flood level.
“After Tropical Storm Irene and the ravages of that flooding, people and communities are much more aware of what could happen, so they’ve being much more proactive,” he says.
Tropical Storm Irene damaged an estimated 3,500 homes in Vermont.
