Vermont Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) Director Joe Flynn has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to conduct a preliminary damage assessment (PDA) in Vermont counties impacted by severe storms on June 9th. The state is asking for the assessment to determine if the state qualifies for federal public assistance to help cover the costs of cleanup and repairs from the storm.
Director Flynn has asked FEMA Regional Administrator Paul Ford to send assessors to work with local and state personnel to assess damages in Addison, Chittenden, and Franklin counties. The letter from Flynn to Ford is attached.
“(On June 9th) torrential rains resulted in flooding and erosion which washed out roads and destroyed drainage structures … causing more than a million dollars of damage to public infrastructure,” Flynn wrote in his request.
To qualify for a Public Assistance (PA) disaster declaration under the Federal Stafford Act Vermont must show at least $1-million in eligible costs; individual counties must also meet separate thresholds for assistance. Should the indicator thresholds be met, Gov. Peter Shumlin would forward a formal request to FEMA, who would then determine whether or not to recommend that President Barack Obama sign the declaration.
Under a PA disaster declaration, communities would be eligible for 75% reimbursement for response and recovery costs. Those costs include repairs to local roads, public buildings, and other municipal assets.