Flood Recovery Resources Update

Last Thursday more rain fell in one evening than we usually get in one month. Hancock, Middlebury, and Ripton were especially hard hit and sustained considerable damage to public infrastructure, private homes, and businesses & community organizations. Thank you to all of the first responders, town and state officials, and individual volunteers who have been helping people stay safe and recover from so many repeated flooding events locally and around the state.

If your home or business was damaged, please report it ASAP to Vermont211.org and register for federal assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov. I continue to work with state and local officials to try to ensure that Addison County will get the state and federal assistance it needs to recovery from these past few weeks of storms. Reporting any and all damage is crucial in helping our community meet the necessary threshold for federal assistance.

A section of Middlebury is under a boil water notice due to a water main break — north of the Jehovah Witness Church on Route 116, Butternut Ridge, Mead Lane, and the Lindale Mobile Home Park. The Town of Middlebury has bottled water and also N95 masks and gloves for folks who are cleaning out wet basements where there is likely mold. Here is some guidance from the VT Department of Health about protecting yourself from mold after a flood. At this writing, Route 116 and Route 125 remained closed, but check New England 511 for the latest state road closures and town websites for local road closures, including Ripton, Middlebury, and Hancock.

Last week the Agency of Commerce & Community Development launched the Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program to provide grants of up to $20,000 to businesses, including farms and non-profit organizations, that have sustained physical damage due to flooding or storms. The Vermont Association of Realtors has also launched a small grant program to provide financial support for Vermonters who were impacted by recent flooding. Within the next couple weeks, Efficiency Vermont will be launching a program to provide funding to homeonwers & renters to replace flood damaged appliances and heating systems with more energy efficient equipment. Stay tuned for more information on this program or register for Efficiency Vermont’s Flood Recovery Webinar this Thursday.

Check out this comprehensive state website Vermont Flood Resources, Assistance, and Referrals that lists flood recovery resources, in 10 languages. Below is an updated list of flood safety & recovery resources and ways to help. Please reach out to me if you are having trouble getting the help you need.

FLOOD RECOVERY RESOURCES
Vermont Flood Resources, Assistance, and Referrals — comprehensive list of flood recovery resources in 10 languages
Vermont 211 — report flood damage and find housing & social service assistance
Federal Emergency Management Assistance (FEMA) — assistance for areas with an approved disaster declaration
ACCD Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program – small grants for businesses & non-profits with flood damage
Small Business Development Center — resources for small businesses
Efficiency Vermont — resources to help repair & rebuild as energy-efficiently as possible
Agency of Agriculture — federal & state assistance for farmers who have lost crops, livestock, or had infrastructure damage
Vermont Arts Council and Vermont Arts & Culture Disaster and Resilience Network — resources for arts & cultural organizations
Special & Urgent Needs Grants — small grants for non-profit organizations with flood damage from VT Community Foundation
Department of Labor — information on Disaster Unemployment Assistance for individuals who’ve lost jobs due to flooding
League of Cities and Towns – information on assistance for municipalities
Consumer Assistance Program —information on avoiding scams while applying for assistance or making donations
Department of Financial Regulation —information on flood insurance resources
Vermont Association of Realtors — small grants to assist Vermonters impacted by flooding
Vermont Health Connect — Medicaid health insurance coverage extension information
Vermont Foodbank — food assistance information
Vermont Bar Association — assistance for Vermonters facing legal issues arising from flooding

FLOOD SAFETY RESOURCES
VT Emergency Alert System – sign up to receive emergency alert notices for your area
National Weather Service — for weather updates & alerts
VT Emergency Management – public safety emergency information
VT Department of Health — guidance, in multiple languages, about how to stay safe before, during, and after a flood
VT Agency of Natural Resources — information on drinking water notices & safety, landslide activity, dams status
VT Agency of Transportation — current road conditions in Vermont
New England 511 — state road closures throughout Vermont & New England. For local road conditions, check with individual towns.
Vermont Language Justice Project – information on staying safe during a flood in 17 different languages

WAYS TO HELP
Many communities and organizations have individual mutual aid, fundraising, and volunteer opportunities. Please check with specific towns, organizations, businesses, and individuals to see what they need and how you can help. Here are a few options.
Statewide Volunteer Registration — volunteer to help with flood recovery and related assistance
Vermont Community Foundation — donate to VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund
Addison County United Way — assisting Addison County organizations with flood recovery
HOPE and CVOEO — assisting individuals in Addison County who need economic, food, housing, or other assistance
Vermont Foodbank — donate to Disaster Recovery Support (statewide)
Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA-VT) — donate to Farmer Emergency Fund
Sparrow Art Supply — Love from your Neighbor postcard & donation campaign

A few non-flood related things to highlight: As you know, Vermont has a housing shortage; take the Addison County Regional Planning Commission survey to assess housing needs in our area. I am part of the Ilsley 100 Project Team spear-heading plans to renovate and expand the Ilsley Public Library in Middlebury.  Please join us on Wednesday night at 6:30 at the Town Hall Theater or take a look at the displays at the Library to see ideas from architectural firms hoping to design the updates of this community gem. Finally, I hope to see you at the Addison County Fair & Field Days this week!

Please reach out if you have questions or need help. Take care and stay safe.

Photo Note: Flood damage to a driveway in Middlebury. Courtesy of Elise Shanbacker.