Vermont hired two consulting firms shortly after Tropical Storm Irene to navigate FEMA’s bureaucratic
maze. The state is set to pay up to $4 million under a pair of consulting
contracts with the disaster management specialists.
When the flood hit Wilmington a year ago the local economy
was already on its knees. But just this month, with the help of a local
non-profit two new businesses are opening in the downtown and a once
flood-damaged building was sold.
The town of Wilmington is
evaluating whether to hire an economic development consultant as the town
continues to recover nearly a year after Tropical Storm Irene.
Vermont is still recovering from the
floods that followed Tropical Storm Irene, and the urge to help
is forging a sense of community that extends beyond state borders.
Following Tropical Storm Irene, town budgets have been complicated by uncertainty over FEMA
reimbursements and the costs of future repairs. But in some of those
hard-hit communities, the mood on Town Meeting Day seemed buoyant.