Patrick Leahy

Flood and Disaster Recovery Resource Center

Thursday, August 31 –

Dear Fellow Vermonter,

As we learn more and see more and reconnect with each other, Vermonters are still coming to terms with the swift and fierce destruction that Irene left in her wake.  I’m a lifelong Vermonter and I’ve never seen anything quite like this before in our state.

 For so many Vermonters this already was anything but an easy year, with earlier flooding that already set historic records.

I can’t tell you how stirring it has been to see neighbors helping not only neighbors but also complete strangers.  On our visits to some of the hardest-hit towns, Governor Shumlin and I met volunteer after volunteer, pitching in and working hard on the cleanup and to put their businesses and homes back together.

Relief efforts are well underway and emergency repairs have begun.  The work of recovery will be a longer process.  We are drawing from our state’s resources and Vermonters’ reserves of courage and stamina, but we will also need help that is beyond the means of a small state like ours.  I will continue to work side by side with Senator Sanders and Congressman Welch, as we work step by step with President Obama, Governor Shumlin, federal disaster officials and others, to ensure that every federal resource is available to Vermont as we begin the recovery process.  We have forged a strong partnership for Vermont that is working well, and that bodes well for the future.

Questions, answers, resources and events evolve rapidly in a crisis like this.  The internet is a marvelous communications tool, and I have prepared this web page to pass along important information and key contacts to help flooded property owners, businesses and renters.

Patrick Leahy

United States Senator for Vermont

Information for All Vermonters

The Vermont Flood Recovery Resource Guide, a publication of the Office of Senator Patrick Leahy, is now available. This guide contains detailed information and contact phone numbers and links for essential agencies and organizations in Vermont.

Floodsmart.gov provides numerous resources for Vermonters impacted by flooding or damage from Hurricane Irene.  Please click here for information on how to file a flood insurance claim. For additional tips from the Federal Emergency Managment Agency on how to file a claim for damage due to a flood, please click here.

In a time of emergency or recovery, it is imperative that you stay informed.  Here are some resources to help you stay on top of changing conditions and newly-released information:

Vermont Agency of Transportation

Vermont Travel Information Service

Vermont Department of Health

Vermont Emergency Management Agency (VEMA)

Vermont Department of Housing and Community Affairs

Taking care of your personal health after a disaster is imperative. For tips from FEMA on ways to care for yourself and your loved ones as you work to recover, please click here. For additional information on health and hygiene from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), please click here.

It is important to remain mindful of food and water safety after a flood; do not eat anything that may have touched flood waters.  If you've lost power, keep refrigerators and freezers closed.  Dispose of any perishable item that may have been above 40 degrees for longer than two hours. Please click here for detailed food safety information from the Vermont Department of Health. For additional information on water safety and ensuring the sanitation of your water supply, please click here.

Additionally, it is critical that you be aware of the possibility of financial scams designed to prey on people recovering from a natural diaster. For information from the Federal Trade Commission on how to avoid becoming a victim of these scams, please click here.

Information for Homeowners

New Information For Mobile Home Owners:

Senator Leahy is working with the rest of the Congressional Delegation and Governor Shumlin to identify resources for mobile home residents impacted for flooding.  Please click here to access a document outlining these efforts and lists resources for mobile home owners. 

If you're just coming home:

When re-entering your home after evacuation, proceed with extreme caution. Please click here for detailed tips on how best to avoid hazards and damage in your home after a flood, as provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 

Dry basements slowly:

Pumping water from your home too swiftly can cause further structural damage to both walls and floors due to the saturated nature of the surrounding ground. FEMA recommends pumping out about one-third of the water each day following a flood.

Document your clean-up:

Prior to beginning your clean-up efforts, document your home and property with photos and videos. Be sure to contact your insurance company as soon as possible after a flood and retain all receipts and records related to the repair of your home. 

Information for Businesses

Please click here for information on Small Business Administration Disaster Loans

For information on how to apply for assistance from FEMA, please click here.

Whether you rent or own your own home, own your own business, or own a small agricultural cooperative located in a declared disaster area, and are the victim of a disaster, you may be eligible for financial assistance from the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

What Types of Disaster Loans are Available?

Home Disaster Loans – Loans to homeowners or renters to repair or replace disaster-damaged real estate or personal property owned by the victim. Renters are eligible for their personal property losses, including automobiles.

Business Physical Disaster Loans – Loans to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property owned by the business, including real estate, inventories, supplies, machinery and equipment. Businesses of any size are eligible. Private, non-profit organizations such as charities, churches, private universities, etc., are also eligible.

Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) – Working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. These loans are intended to assist through the disaster recovery period.

EIDL assistance is available only to entities and their owners who cannot provide for their own recovery from non-government sources, as determined by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Information for Farmers

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture is urging farmers to report hurricane losses, as well as those loses expected in the future as a result of the hurricane, to the state as soon as possible in order to assess the availability of assistance from the federal government. Farmers should stay in touch with the following offices:

•         USDA Farm Service Agency at (802) 658-2803 and

•         Natural Resources Conservation Service at (802) 951-6796.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture

Vermont Farm Service Agency

List of Recovery Resources from the USDA Farm Service Agency

Information for Vermont Veterans

If you are a Veteran, currently enrolled at the VA Medical Center in White River Junction Vermont or any of its community based outpatient clinics, and you have been negatively impacted by Hurricane Irene and need assistance please contact the White River Junction VA Telephone Triage Unit at:

1-866-687-8383 Ext. 6364

Impact includes but may not be limited to:

Medication refill assistance
Mail out pharmacy medications cannot get to you
You cannot get to the VA Medical Center to pick up your medications
Wound care supply concerns

If you are a Veteran’s care giver or their family member, please follow the instructions above to obtain assistance.