Vermont Gov. Phil Scott announced Monday that he has requested a major disaster declaration from the federal government to help areas hit by heavy rains and flooding in December.
Such a declaration would allow municipalities to be reimbursed for 75% of eligible costs, including debris removal, road and public building repairs, and overtime for staff related to storm cleanup, Scott said. .
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“As Vermont continues to recover from last year’s flooding, it is clear that additional federal assistance will be needed to help communities rebuild,” Scott said in a statement. “As we do so, it is important to make improvements that will make us more resilient to future severe weather events that will become increasingly common.”
Vermont Governor Phil Scott delivers the State of the State Address remotely from the Pavilion Office Building in Montpelier, Vermont, on January 5, 2022. (Glenn Russell/VTDigger via AP, Pools, Files)
Storms that battered the northeastern United States on December 18 and 19 left at least five people dead, flooding roads and toppling trees, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people and forcing canceled flights and school closures.
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In Vermont, federal assessors found that public entities incurred more than $1.9 million in public infrastructure repairs, Scott said. Additionally, five counties had storm-related costs that exceeded the minimum amount per person to qualify for aid, he said.
