Who will pay for all the flood damage?
MORETOWN, Vt. (WCAX) - Road crews are cleaning up and rebuilding across Vermont after the latest round of flooding. Vermonters and towns clobbered by the floods are now turning their attention to who will pay for it all.
Across Vermont, cleanup from the deluge has road crews working around the clock.
In Moretown, the school parking lot turned into a gravel quarry, a staging area to bring material to closed roads.
Stevens Brook Road, right off Route 100 became a waterfall, leaving precarious craters in its wake and stranding some residents when the massive culvert washed out.
“Yeah, we’ve been landlocked for two days. The culverts are out and roads washed away, huge caverns and canyons,” said Dan Liptak of Moretown.
It’s forcing locals to get around by ATV while crews rebuild roads.
“We have an awesome road crew here and just really happy that they’re so on top it,” Liptak said.
It means expensive repairs for local budgets and homeowners. Vermont is once again beginning the FEMA process.
State officials urge people to once again take photos of damage, save receipts from expenses and report all flood damage to 211, so it can be reported to FEMA if Vermont is eligible.
Gov. Phil Scott says Vermonters should temper their expectations of how much help the feds will step in to help.
“That’s where the frustration typically comes through. When you have damage to your home, you expect FEMA will come in and rectify that and make you whole. But that doesn’t happen,” said Scott, R-Vermont.
State leaders are just beginning to tally the cost to homeowners and towns.
During last summer’s floods, FEMA spent more than $80 million on administrative costs to deliver $40 million in aid to Vermont. It’s a problem that Sen. Peter Welch, who toured flood damage with local officials Friday, is looking to fix with a bill that would funnel federal disaster cash to towns and cities.
“My confidence is if the federal government partners and provides the funds but the local folks take the responsibility for the execution it will be more efficient and less frustrating,” said Welch, D-Vermont.
The state also plans to bring on case managers to help Vermonters through the bureaucratic labyrinth. In the meantime, officials urge people to call 211 and file a report with the state so that Vermont can be eligible for any help for what’s expected to be a long road ahead for many communities.
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