Disaster declaration approved for Vermont for July flooding from remnants of Beryl

MONTPELIER, Vermont — President Biden on Tuesday approved a major disaster declaration for Vermont, making federal funding available to help people and communities affected by flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Beryl from July 9 to 11.

Governor Phil Scott has filed a separate request for a disaster declaration for flood damage. storms on July 30.

The remains of Beryl In just a few hours, more than six inches of rain dumped on parts of Vermont, destroying and damaging homes, washing away bridges, cutting off towns and retraumatizing a state where some people are still waiting for help after catastrophic floods which took place exactly one year earlier.

Two people – a motorist in Lyndonville and a man in an SUV in Peacham – were killed by floodwaters.

The declaration makes federal funding available to people in Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Lamoille, Orleans and Washington counties, federal officials said. It also includes funding to help communities in those counties repair roads and bridges damaged by flooding.

“The impact of this storm on communities and individuals has been significant, and while these federal resources will not alleviate all of those burdens, this financial support is critical to our state’s recovery,” Scott said in a statement.

He has also asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture for special natural disaster status so that farmers affected by flooding in multiple counties can get help.

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This story has been corrected to reflect that the flooding occurred from July 9 to 11.