Governor Scott discusses the impact of flooding in Barre, with (from left) Senator Sanders, Congresswoman Balint and former FEMA Director Criswell on July 12, 2023. File photo.
Need remains high for impacted families, employers and communities
Vermont Business Magazine From July 2023 to July 2024, Vermont experienced multiple flooding events with enough damage to secure five federal disaster declarations. Collectively, these floods spanned every one of Vermont’s 14 counties and more than 150 cities, towns and villages, causing well over a billion dollars in damage.
With the two biggest storms hitting the state on the exact same dates (July 10-11) in both 2023 and 2024, Governor Phil Scott is taking this week to reflect on the impact, the progress, and the work left to do to recover, rebuild and increase resiliency. Last week Senator Peter Welch introduced legislation to reform FEMA.
“Recovery is far from over for many across the state,” said Governor Scott. “So, the anniversary of these historic floods is an important reminder that we all need to pay attention to those in need and continue to offer our support.”
To support ongoing needs, the Vermont Community Foundation created the David R. Coates Fund for Vermont Disaster Relief, a new permanent fund that ensures rapid and equitable support is available when the next crisis hits. Philanthropy has a vital role in disaster response. It can act quickly, reach those most in need, and fill critical gaps that other funding streams cannot. Donate to Vermont Disaster Relief now (https://vermontcf.org/funds/vt-disaster-relief/).
The State is highlighting the collaborative and ongoing work with the Recovery, Rebuilding, Resilience interactive story map. With a selection of examples, this tool celebrates the thousands of people – across federal, state and local government, businesses, non-profits, community organizations, and volunteers – who contribute to emergency response and long-term recovery work.
The State has also launched a Disaster Recovery website. The site currently serves as a centralized hub for disaster response to these most recent floods, referring Vermonters to federal, state and local programs and support. Over time, the site can be used in the face of new disasters, as a collection point of available resources and information for the general public, business, municipalities and community organizations.
Governor Scott, state officials and partners, and federal representatives will discuss flood impacts and ongoing recovery work at the governor’s weekly press conference on Wednesday, July 9.
When: Wednesday, July 9 at 1:00 p.m.
Where: Lyndonville Redemption Center, 406 Broad St, Lyndonville, VT. Following the press conference, there will be an optional tour of impacted sites along Red Village Road.
Who: Governor Phil Scott and members of his Administration, local officials and business owners, Congressional delegation representatives, and statewide partners.
Welch Marks July 2023 and July 2024 Flood Anniversaries with new bill to reform FEMA
U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) on Monday traveled across Vermont to discuss his new bill to reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Senator Welch visited Barre and Montpelier on Monday, July 7. On his tour, he met with community leaders and flood-impacted Vermonters and held a Listening Session in Barre. Last week, Senator Welch visited Killington, Ludlow, and Weston; he will visit Hardwick, Lyndon, Barton, and Burke in the coming weeks.
The Senator’s tour and introduction of the Disaster Assistance Improvement and Decentralization (AID) Act will mark the anniversary of catastrophic flooding across Vermont in July 2023 and July 2024.
Senator Welch’s new Disaster AID Act will cut red tape and empower state and local governments, make the delivery of disaster aid more efficient and effective, provide assistance to small towns and communities impacted by natural disasters, and block the White House from withholding funding for disaster recovery.
Senator Welch has been outspoken in opposing any attempt by the Trump Administration to dismantle FEMA. Earlier this year, Senator Welch published a guest essay in The New York Times entitled: “Don’t Kill FEMA. Fix It.” In his piece, Senator Welch outlined why President Trump’s actions to undermine and potentially dissolve FEMA are misguided—but also committed to working with the President on good faith efforts to reform the agency’s long-term recovery process.
In December 2024, Senator Welch helped shape and pass a comprehensive disaster aid package, which delivered more than $100.4 billion of relief for states like Vermont recovering from climate disasters. The disaster aid package contained many of Senator Welch’s top priorities for the State: dedicated help for Vermont’s flood-impacted farmers, flexible spending through the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief fund, money for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, and support for businesses, among many other important provisions.
Learn more about the Disaster AID Act.
Read a section-by-section summary of the Disaster AID Act.
Flooding in Montpelier, July 2023. Courtesy photo.
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