Major disaster declared in Vermont following devastating flooding in Montpelier, Ludlow, and other areas

Inundated by a series of storms and flashfloods over the last few weeks, much of the Northeast is under floodwater. On Friday, Pres. Joe Biden approved a major disaster decleration for Vermont, as requested by Gov. Phil Scott.

“Make no mistake, the devastation and flooding we’re experiencing across Vermont is historic and catastrophic, Scott said after requesting federal assistance. “Although the coming days, weeks and months will be incredibly difficult, we’ve faced challenges before, and Vermonters have risen to meet the moment.”

Floodwater has devastated Vermont over the last week, destroying thousands of homes and businesses, according to Scott, and completely submerging main roadways in communities like Montpelier and Lodlow—the areas that were hit the hardest. Emergency operations like those in Montpelier were forced to evacuate and set up temporary dispatch centers in neighboring communities. Notably, a water boil notice was lifted Friday after water samples tested clean.

Beginning on Sunday, storms swept into New York and across New England, dumping more than seven inches of rain in some areas in under four hours. At least one person died in Vermont, and another perished in New York State due to fast moving water, according to the New York Times.

Rescue teams from Connecticut, Massachusetts and North Carolina joined Vermont’s 13 swift water rescue teams to help with the response, as did helicopters from Vermont and New Hampshire’s National Guards. Jennifer Morrison, the state’s deputy commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, noted structural collapse teams were staged across the state along with fire and code inspectors, who will enter buildings as floodwater recedes to make sure they’re safe.

“There will come a time when we need the help of all Vermonters to recover from this disaster, but we are not there yet. For now, please focus your volunteer energy at the hyper-local level. Check on your neighbors and the most vulnerable in your neighborhood,” Morrison said.

Water levels in some areas like Montpelier, Vermont’s capital city, surpassed levels seen during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. And with more bad weather predicted over this weekend, Scott warned that floodwater might continue to rise in some areas. The rain “will have nowhere to go in the over-saturated ground,” Scott said during an update briefing earlier this week. “I want to be clear, we are not out of the woods.”

While they’ve since been reopened, roads including Interstate-89 were shut down. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders called the flooding event “the worst natural disaster since 1927. For the sake of our common humanity, we must act boldly,” he said via Twitter. “This afternoon I was walking around the street in Barre, Vt.—mud this high, water in everybody’s basements. Whether these houses are salvageable or not, I don’t know. Many of these people don’t have insurance. It was just horrible.”

Throughout the state, the major disaster declaration opens up relief and funding opportunities for state, local and county governments and their communities. Scott noted the ongoing response is still focused on recovery.

“Federal assistance will be critical to support families, businesses and infrastructure,” Scott said.

Specifically, the declaration will allow communities in declared counties to receive at least 75% reimbursement for storm response and recovery, including repairs to public infrastructure, according to a statement from Scott’s office.

A separate, Individual Assistance program, will help individual community members impacted by the disaster seek reimbursement for necessary expenses and serious needs that cannot be met through insurance or other forms of assistance. Eligible expenses include rental assistance, home repair, home replacement, and lodging, among other expenses.