Federal Aid To Vermont For Winter Storm Repairs Tops $1 Million

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – State and federal officials say that more than $1 million in federal assistance has been delivered to the state to help cover the costs of the December 9-12, 2014 winter storm that wreaked havoc on Vermont’s infrastructure, downing trees and power lines.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the $1 million in FEMA aid to the state thus far for infrastructure repair includes roughly $670,000 for emergency protective measures to safeguard lives and property while responding to the disaster, and another $384,000 in permanent repair work. Another $2 million in FEMA aid is anticipated, most of it for Vermont Electric Cooperative.

“The December storm was a four-day event that caused an estimated $4+ million in damage and response costs,” said State Coordinating Officer Robert Schell with Vermont’s Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. “The federal dollars coming to Vermont are assisting numerous communities and non-profit utilities.”

Governor Peter Shumlin requested preliminary damage assessments in the ten most heavily damaged Vermont counties immediately after the storm and sent the assessments to FEMA with a request for a federal disaster declaration.

President Barack Obama approved the request in early February, and FEMA and state disaster teams began meeting with jurisdictions to explain how federal dollars flow to the state and on to eligible municipalities and non-profit entities.      

“We will continue to support our state and local partners to ensure that applicants receive all of the assistance for which they are eligible,” said Federal Coordinating Officer James N. Russo, the head of FEMA’s recovery operations in Vermont.

FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides state and local governments and eligible private non-profit organizations in designated counties federal funds to pay 75 percent of the approved cost of debris removal, emergency services related to the disaster, and for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities such as roads, buildings and utilities.

Both FEMA and the state, which distributes the FEMA funds to municipalities and qualified non-profits, must review Public Assistance projects to ensure compliance with regulations.

###

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.