Climate scientists have said that the major weather events in the last
year give Vermonters an idea of what the future effects of global
warming may bring to the state in the coming decades.
The Irene Effect
"The Irene Effect" takes stock of where Vermont stands nearly four months after the historic flood. Listen Wednesday, December 14th at noon and 7 p.m. on VPR, Saturday December 17th at 4 p.m., Wednesday the 28th at 9 a.m., and online at VPR.net.
Credit: AP/Toby Talbot
Vermont Edition
An update on what has been accomplished so far and what is left to rebuild after Tropical Storm Irene and end-of-year giving trends in Vermont.
The initial disaster of Tropical Storm Irene was met with intense
cleanup, donations and federal response. Three months on, the long-term
recovery for victims of Irene is still taking shape.
When Tropical Storm Irene pounded the state in August, emergency
coordinators responded as best they could. Two months later, we look at the lessons
learned.
In
the days and weeks after Irene, excavators were allowed into rivers with verbal
permission to extract
gravel to rebuild road beds and shore up banks. Environmentalists are saying much
of this work has caused more harm than good.
A new task force will address complicated legal questions that are arising post-Irene: What happens if your house and property were destroyed, but you still have
a mortgage? Who owns the river that now runs through your land?
VIDEO: 'The Spirit Of Vermont'
The Graham-Frock Family
Jon
Graham, Beth Frock and their two daughters, Rhianna and Chloe, lost their home
when floodwaters from Tropical Storm Irene eroded the land underneath their
home, collapsing it. Since
then, the family has been navigating the painfully slow process of dealing with
the financial as well as emotional fallout.
VPR's Mitch Wertlieb checks in with the Graham-Frock family again, and speaks with 16-year-old
high school senior Rhianna Graham-Frock about what life has been like for
her since Irene took the family's home.
For Vermonters hardest hit by
Tropical Storm Irene, the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday comes with mixed
emotions. Jon Graham and Beth Frock of Rochester certainly have
much to be thankful for, especially since Jon escaped uninjured when his house collapsed
around him on August 28th.
Jon
Graham and Beth Frock, whose Rochester home was destroyed by a brook that overran its banks during Tropical Storm Irene, are coping with the long road to recovery.
Tropical Storm Irene destroyed the home of Beth Frock and Jon Graham of Rochester.
The couple is coping with a tremendous upheaval to their lives, and they've recently learned insurance won't pay for the damages.
Supported By
Commentaries
Commentator Bill mares reflects on volunteering at the Tunbridge
fair, two weeks after Irene's flood roared through towns across Vermont -
including Tunbridge.
When commentator, filmmaker and Marlboro
College teacher Jay Craven set out
for southern Vermont, in the face
of warnings for Hurricane Irene, he figured he'd emerge with some kind of
story - and he did.
In the aftermath of the storm, Commentator Tom Slayton has been giving
some thought to the spirit of Vermonters and their tireless efforts in
putting the state back together.
As the floodwaters began to recede,
commentator Stephanie Greene has found herself contemplating what it
means to have connections - both the local kind, and the virtual
kind.
Displaced By Irene
Complete Timeline Of Tropical Storm Irene Coverage
Governor
Peter Shumlin says the state will receive a $2.4 million dollar grant
from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for recovery services for
survivors of Tropical Storm Irene.
Residents
and business owners in Waterbury are renewing their call to bring back to town the
state workers displaced by Tropical Storm Irene.
Today is the deadline for the first round of home buyout applications under the
FEMA
Hazard Mitigation program. Applications for a second round of grants are due in March.
Hundreds turned out Thursday night for a "flood recovery
fair" that looked at a variety of long-term projects under consideration.
The
local economy in Hartford depends heavily on the historic Quechee Bridge, which was ravaged by Tropical Storm Irene, and voters now have to decide
whether to repair it, or build a bigger, longer one.
Last night, an overflow crowd filled the
Lamoille Community Connections conference room in Morrisville. About 150 people
were there to hear Vermont Mental Health Commissioner Patrick Flood talk about
a plan to put up to 16 beds at the regional mental health facility.
After
the Vermont State Hospital was closed by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene, Governor Peter Shumlin
proposed decentralizing the facility, and moving some patients to treatment centers like the one in Morristown.
Transportation
Secretary Brian Searles says the historic covered bridge in Townshend has been patched several times over the
years, and last week the Vermont Agency of Transportation decided to close it to all traffic.
Climate scientists have said that the major weather events in the last
year give Vermonters an idea of what the future effects of global
warming may bring to the state in the coming decades.
State officials say it will be summer before applications for money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development are accepted and the
funds may not be available until August - a year after Irene.
The state's Climate Change Team says data predicts that Vermont will
get more extreme rain events in the future, so flood resiliency may be a
critical need for adapting to climate changes.
Many
of the local funds credited with stepping up to help Vermonters in the days right after Tropical Storm Irene are closing up shop.
Governor
Peter Shumlin has signed legislation allowing Vermonters to use "I am Vermont Strong"
plates on the front of their cars and trucks. Organizers are hoping sales of the plates will raise more than $1
million for the people who suffered damages from Tropical Storm
Irene.
Environmental
activist and writer Bill McKibben says states like Vermont need to take the lead in addressing climate change,
because Washington isn't doing so.
Congressman Peter Welch says tax relief may be available to Vermont individuals and businesses affected by Tropical Storm Irene.
Vermont officials helping the state recover from Tropical
Storm Irene say the long-term changes in the state produced by the storm could
rival those prompted by the great flood of 1927.
The Vermont House Friday morning approved issuing a special license
plate to raise money for people affected by Tropical Storm Irene.
Going
beyond the federal aid available for Irene recovery are the efforts of the Vermont
Long-Term Disaster Recovery Group.
Some of the people who were flooded by Tropical
Storm Irene have been out their homes for five months now. Some say they're grieving, as if someone close to them has died. One family in Londonderry is also counting its blessings.
The
House is considering legislation that's designed to strengthen
community based mental health services across the state.
More than half of the people displaced by Irene
are still unsettled. Many are waiting on a government buy-back program to help
them move forward. And many are still dealing with the trauma of
the day that the floods washed over their homes. On the day of the flood a family from Wardsboro thought they might not survive.
A lot of Vermonters displaced by Irene are hoping their home will be bought out
by the FEMA hazard mitigation program, which pays up to 75 percent of the home's
pre-storm fair market value.
Five months ago, the floodwaters brought by Irene clawed at the
landscape, pulling some homes down river and damaging others.
Fourteen-hundred homes were devastated, including one in Newfane whose owners witnessed their
entire home wash away.
There's more grant money available for Vermont farmers hurt by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene.
Farmers who need help can apply for assistance from the Vermont Farm Disaster
Relief Fund.
VPR's Mitch Wertlieb talks with Vermont's Irene Recovery Officer, Sue Minter about the challenges the state faces in helping the most vulnerable, whose lives were thrown into chaos by Irene.
A Windham
county sheriff has written a letter to the state's mental health
commissioner saying that stopgap measures for treating the mentally ill in Vermont
have severely
burdened law enforcers and kept patients from getting adequate care.
The state this week is continuing Tropical Storm Irene flood updates and community recovery tours. Emergency management and community development officials on Monday will visit
Rochester.
VPR's Bob Kinzel talks with Rep. Tom Stevens and Rep. Rebecca Ellis about the prospects for state workers returning to Waterbury and how that impacts the business community.
The
Vermont Senate has approved a plan to issue commemorative "Vermont Strong"
license plates to raise money for tropical storm Irene relief programs.
A
group of Senate leaders has unveiled a plan designed to help Vermonters
affected by Tropical Storm Irene. But
House Speaker Shap Smith says the proposal is not well thought out and could
actually hinder efforts to raise additional federal funds for Irene relief
efforts.
Only a handful of the families displaced by Tropical Storm Irene who were mobile home residents have been able to return to flooded parks. Many are living in temporary situations and facing the difficulty of making ends meet through the winter.
Consultants are looking at reusing the upper floors of the state office complex in Waterbury as one option for housing state workers displaced by Irene flooding.
Benson photographer John Penwarden and art gallery owner Anni Mackay discuss documenting the cleanup of Rochester in the days immediately after Tropical Storm Irene.
The
Vermont Senate has put the passage of "Vermont Strong" commemorative license
plates on a fast track and the bill is expected to receive final passage by the
end of the week.
The state of Vermont is soliciting ideas for how to spend the $21.6 million dollar federal community rebuilding grant announced last week as part of the Irene recovery effort.
Tropical Storm Irene has left one Vermont couple living on an unexpected island.
Vermont is getting more than $21 million in federal
emergency money to help rebuild communities destroyed by flooding from Tropical
Storm Irene.
A new program has been created to help people who are dealing with the
emotional impact of Tropical Storm Irene. Starting Over Strong, which offers free short-term support, is funded by FEMA.
Lawmakers
have responded to last year's record floods with a number of bills that deal
with managing rivers. One of the big questions is whether towns should be
forced to limit development in flood hazard areas.
Vermont will get about $8.7 million in emergency funding to
help farmers and property owners recover from Tropical Storm Irene.
After
months of trying to make the permit process as painless as possible, Northfield's Select Board has unanimously voted to reinstate its
fees.
Tuesday night the town of Wilmington
is holding a kick-off meeting to address its long-term recovery from Tropical
Storm Irene.
A special task force that focused on how to help property owners who were
affected by Tropical Storm Irene has presented a series of recommendations to
the Legislature.
Agriculture
Secretary Chuck Ross provides an update from Tropical Storm Irene on farmers who lost land or had so much silt deposited on their fields that
it's unusable.
Gov. Peter Shumlin has suggested
moving 170 state workers to Barre, an idea that's been greeted with enthusiasm by Mayor Thom Lauzon.
The type of damage Vermont suffered in Tropical Storm Irene has unleashed a storm of legal problems with no easy solutions. For example: What do you do when your house and land have washed away, but you're still paying a mortgage? For many, it's a question that still hasn't been fully answered.
he Vermont House has quickly advanced a bill that would save money for towns hard-hit by Tropical Storm Irene. The bill allows towns to defer their education tax payments to the state until late February.
Tropical Storm Irene hit just
as Vermont schools were getting ready to open for students. One of the schools particularly hard hit by
the flooding that ensued was the Moretown Elementary
School.
After
flooding from Tropical Storm Irene closed most of the State Office
Complex in Waterbury, 1,500 state workers were temporarily relocated
elsewhere. Now,
the future of those workers is
developing into a controversial issue at the Statehouse.
In the months since Tropical Storm Irene, people have been weighing in on the future of the flooded state office complex in Waterbury, and where state workers should be located. House Speaker Shap Smith says that he would
like to see a substantial number of state employees stay in Waterbury.
A total of 6 Vermont schools have received waivers for administering this
year's statewide assessment exam. That's thanks, in part, to Tropical Storm Irene, which
forced the displacement of students in the weeks following devastating
flooding.
VPR's Jane Lindholm gets an update on the status of Moretown Elementary School, which was hit hard by the flooding from Tropical Storm Irene.
Jon
Graham, Beth Frock and their two daughters, Rhianna and Chloe, lost their home
when floodwaters from Tropical Storm Irene eroded the land underneath their
home, collapsing it. Since
then, the family has been navigating the painfully slow process of dealing with
the financial as well as emotional fallout.
About 15 to 20 percent of the businesses in the historic village of
Wilmington are still closed because of damage from Tropical Storm Irene.Now, a group of second homeowners and others are forming a nonprofit group
to rebuild and revitalize the downtown.
Made of photos and first-hand accounts, Yvonne Daley's A Mighty Storm: Stories of
Resilience After Irene is as much a historical record as it is a picture
of the state’s character.
A new report spells out the lessons the state
learned from Tropical Storm Irene. And it details the unfinished work that
remains to help Vermonters recover.
Local cities and towns now have more time to submit applications for federal
hazard mitigation grants. The
grants provide money for projects aimed at mitigating the risk for future
flooding, such as home buyouts, road and bridge repair and culvert replacement.
Shortly after Irene hit, Southeastern Vermont Community Action began
collecting donated items for flood victims. But the agency is getting ready to close the
warehouse that stores them.
In his State of the State address Thursday,
Governor Peter Shumlin proposed a special "Vermont Strong" license plate to
help raise money for Tropical Storm Irene recovery. Each plate will sell for $25. The money raised will add to the more than $8 million already donated to Irene relief. But much of that has not yet been distributed.
It's on to the Vermont Senate for a bill that
would have the state tax commissioner reimburse towns that have made tax
abatements for property owners who suffered damage from Tropical Storm Irene.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is
going to provide Vermont nearly $135 million to help the state repair roads
and bridges damaged by Tropical Storm Irene and other flooding last year.
As Tropical Storm Irene becomes a memory for
some Vermonters, for others the disaster is still unfolding. In October, VPR spoke
with Brett Morrison. His house in Jamaica was one of four in town
swept away in the flood, along with the land beneath them.
Waterbury has had to be creative in how it responds the widespread need for reconstruction throughout the village since Tropical Storm Irene's floods.
VPR's Mitch Wertlieb checks in with the Graham-Frock family again, and speaks with 16-year-old
high school senior Rhianna Graham-Frock about what life has been like for
her since Irene took the family's home.
Gov. Peter Shumlin announced that Deputy Transportation Secretary Sue Minter will replace Neale Lunderville as Vermont's Irene recovery officer.
Recovery from
Tropical Storm Irene will now be overseen by Deputy Transportation Secretary
Sue Minter.
Lieutenant
Governor Phil Scott says there's merit to relocating some people in Barre. But he
favors having most return to Waterbury.
An update on what has been accomplished so far and what is left to rebuild after Tropical Storm Irene and end-of-year giving trends in Vermont.
Vermont
Peanut Butter Company may be the state's next gourmet specialty food producer
to hit the big time. Business
is booming, despite the fact the company lost everything in its Waterbury manufacturing facility to Tropical Storm Irene.
Housing officials say Tropical
Storm Irene has placed new pressures on an already tight supply of low income
housing. The storm has prompted housing experts to re-evaluate their
plans and priorities.
In
the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, Governor Peter Shumlin announced that a team of
state officials would visit affected towns to learn how the state can help with
the recovery effort -and better respond to future disasters.
More than three months after storms deluged
thousands of homes and businesses in the Northeast, the pace of recovery
remains frustratingly slow for some people.
The
debate over replacing the Vermont State Hospital has been going on for a decade. But it has gained new
urgency in the months since Tropical Storm Irene, when the Waterbury facility was flooded and all of the patients had to
be moved to other locations.
Vermont transportation officials say that all state bridges damaged by Tropical Storm Irene have now been repaired or replaced, and that the state is very close to reaching its goal of opening all damaged roads by the end of the year.
Another sign of the continuing recovery of downtown Wilmington, which was so hard hit by the floods of Irene: On
Sunday, the Wilmington Baptist Church will hold its first worship service since August at
its sanctuary.
An
unprecedented number of Vermont
homeowners are interested in having the federal government buy their houses damaged
by Tropical Storm Irene. The buyout program is designed get homes out of flood
prone areas.
FEMA reimburses 75 percent of the cost of recovery from natural
disasters like Irene. The agency has just announced it has
funds for projects for three towns from southern Vermont. But other towns are still waiting.
Governor Peter Shumlin has outlined
plans to replace the antiquated Vermont state hospital in Waterbury with a regional system of care for the
mentally ill. Shumlin's plans call for a new 15-bed hospital
in Berlin, as well as the expansion of existing
facilities in Brattleboro and Rutland.
Recovery from
Tropical Storm Irene will cost state government an extra $25 million this fiscal year, and that doesn't include the state's share of the cost
of fixing roads and bridges.
Local
businesses want the state to commit soon to moving back to a flood-damaged
office complex. But the Shumlin administration says it will be two years at
least before all workers are relocated. And administration officials say they may decide not to
move all the 1,500 displaced workers back to Waterbury.
Budget
Commissioner Jim Reardon will give lawmakers the state's best estimate of how
much more money the state will need this fiscal year to meet expenses caused by
Tropical Storm Irene.
Federal officials say they'll help put in culverts larger than the pipes that
were washed out during the floods of Tropical Storm Irene. A special FEMA mitigation program will help put in
facilities that might hold up better in a future flood.
Environmental reporter Candace Page of the Burlington Free Press talks with VPR's Jane Lindholm about Stockbridge Vermont's history of flooding and whether it has impacted how the town is rebuilding after Tropical Storm Irene.
Many of the stories coming out of Tropical Storm Irene have been heart-wrenching - tales of trauma, loss, or at the very best, courage in the face of adversity. But for one Jamaica man, who lost his home and everything he owned on August 28th, the storm brought unexpected blessings.
"The Irene Effect" takes stock of where Vermont stands nearly four months after Tropical Storm Irene.
Two of Vermont's most storm-damaged communities have been picked for a special FEMA program, which aims to help devastated areas envision their futures and bring those visions about.
VTrans says a
little more than 1 mile of Route 107 in Stockbridge will close on Sunday.
Vermont's Tropical Storm Irene recovery officer, who is leaving his
temporary post at the end of the month, says cleanup costs are dropping but the long-term toll of the storm on people's
lives and businesses is still being calculated.
For
many people who lost homes and businesses and watched rushing water tear
through their towns during Tropical Storm Irene, there was a sense of terror
and then loss. Although much of the recovery has been physical, there's also an emotional recovery
underway.
Transportation officials say Tropical Storm
Irene damaged 530 miles of state roads, as well as dozens of bridges, creating a
boon for local contractors hired to fix them.
Vermont Democrats held their annual caucus over the weekend
to plan for the upcoming legislative session, and the discussion turned to
Tropical Storm Irene.
Several communities that were devastated by the
flood this summer are marking their comeback with winter light celebrations. This Saturday in Waterbury, children and artists
are parading through downtown carrying lanterns. And next weekend the towns in the Deerfield
River Valley are cranking up their holiday lights.
Three months after Tropical Storm Irene put his office under unprecedented stress, Emergency Management Director Mike O'Neil has been reassigned to head
the Division of Fire Safety, another office in the Department of Public
Safety.
A two-month bottle drive has raised more than
$8,000 for Vermont farms damaged by the remnants of Tropical Storm
Irene.
The initial disaster of Tropical Storm Irene was met with intense
cleanup, donations and federal response. Three months on, the long-term
recovery for victims of Irene is still taking shape.
The Agency of Transportation is almost finished
repairing state roads that were swept away by Irene. But officials are concerned about how they'll
hold up come spring, and in many towns dozens of bridges and sections of
road are still closed.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is
sending Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine millions of dollars to help repair roads damaged in
storms earlier this year.
The
destruction from Tropical Storm Irene is bringing new attention to culverts - a
critical but often overlooked part of the transportation network. The
August storm damaged or destroyed some 960 culverts on town roads alone. The
question now being raised is whether towns will replace washed-out culverts
with new ones that are large enough to withstand future floods.
The effects of Tropical
Storm Irene continue to be felt in many parts of the state. But in some places, town
officials have begun to tell the history of the disaster through oral
histories, photographs and videos for their archives. Historians say this will only create a richer record for future
generations. And it will help local communities
make sense of what happened.
At one point it was estimated the cost of repairing state roads and bridges in
the wake of Tropical Storm Irene would be $600 million. Then
last month, the state announced that the bill could be less than half that
amount.
Hartford residents are
debating whether to repair or replace the Quechee Covered
Bridge
which suffered serious damage
to its foundation from Tropical Storm Irene floodwaters.
Holiday travel will be a little easier in at least one Vermont town. State
transportation officials say repairs in Weathersfield are complete on Route 106, which
Tropical Storm Irene damaged near its junction with Route 131 in the
town.
Leaders of Vermont non-profits are concerned that Vermonters who
gave generously in response to Tropical Storm Irene may not be able to
dig as deeply for traditional end-of-the year donations.
The
Vermont Health Department has launched a program to help people who were
affected by the floods get mental health counseling.
Tropical Storm Irene washed trees and other
debris into rivers and streams. With winter coming on and the spring floods that
follow, the state has launched an initiative to assess the location of debris
that could dam up water flow.
The
Vermont Farm Disaster Relief Fund is opening a fourth round of grant
applications. The fund is a joint effort of the Vermont Community Foundation
and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture.
State Treasurer Beth Pearce has announced a plan to help Vermont municipalities deal with
cash-flow problems caused by the recovery from Tropical Storm Irene.
Cities and towns across Vermont have begun to receive checks from
FEMA to help them repair Tropical Storm Irene damage. The amounts are
just a drop in the bucket for many communities. But town officials are struggling to pay for
multi-million dollar repairs, and they're happily taking the money.
Although
the deadline to apply for federal assistance for damage from Tropical Storm
Irene has passed, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials say they still
have work to do in Vermont.
For Vermonters hardest hit by
Tropical Storm Irene, the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday comes with mixed
emotions. Jon Graham and Beth Frock of Rochester certainly have
much to be thankful for, especially since Jon escaped uninjured when his house collapsed
around him on August 28th.
Since
Tropical Storm Irene flooded most of the stores in downtown Wilmington, it's been challenging for business owners to
rebuild. About
a quarter have reopened, but on Friday one more store owner will be opening
her doors.
A highway funding bill that's been approved
in Congress includes money to help Vermont and other states recover from Tropical Storm Irene.
Workers at the closed Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury say they've largely been ignored as the state debates
the future of its mental health system in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene.
AmeriCorps volunteers are going to be staying
in Vermont a bit longer to help with the cleanup from Tropical
Storm Irene.
Here's a sign of progress on recovering from
Tropical Storm Irene: Vermont officials have retired the special Google map that
reported which roads and bridges around the state were closed due to damage
from the storm.
More
than 7,200 Vermonters applied for financial assistance from the federal
government before this week's deadline. At least $46 million in grants and loans have
already been made.
Eleven weeks after floodwaters swept through a Berlin trailer park, the first residents are ready to move back in. Some of them saw their new homes delivered Thursday morning to the Weston Mobile Home Park.
Culverts are the pipes that channel water under roads. They're
often overlooked as part of the transportation infrastructure unless
they fail.
Governor Peter Shumlin called on citizens last month to volunteer to
clean up their communities after the Irene floods. Hundreds came out to
help, but there's still debris to be
picked up.
State
revenues have finally matched levels that were recorded before the
economic downturn that started in 2008. A new revenue report also shows that Tropical Storm Irene
didn't have much of an overall impact on the state's main tax sources.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is reminding Vermonters hurt by
Tropical Storm Irene that the deadline for applying for federal
assistance is Tuesday at 10 p.m., midnight online.
Fundraising efforts have raised millions to help Vermonters
recover from Tropical Storm Irene. But organizers say there's still a
lot to be done to assess what the need is for the funds.
Although
it's been more than two months since Tropical Storm Irene hit, many people are
still affected. For some it's financial. For others it's emotional. Tonight in Randolph, health experts from Gifford Hospital and the Clara Martin Center are holding an event to discuss the psychological
toll wrought by the storm.
Vermont got good financial news Monday about its efforts to repair roads and bridges damaged
by Tropical Storm Irene. Congressional
negotiators have agreed to lift a federal cap on transportation repair costs. The waiver could save the state more than $150 million.
In
the ten weeks since Tropical Storm Irene ravaged the state, Vermonters have
given generously to help those whose lives were up-ended by the storm. Non-profit officials say at least $7 million has been raised through a combination of statewide efforts and dozens of local
funds.
Some of the heaviest hitters in baseball management have gone to bat for
Vermont farms damaged by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene.
Earlier: Olney Goes To Bat For Vt. Farmers
A lot of heavy equipment has
been in the rivers in Bennington recently as the town tries to finish more than $4 million worth of river and flood plain work. It's part of a plan to minimize
future flood damage by giving rivers space to move and change. State hydrologists are
urging other towns to do the same.
Lawmakers
who gathered in Montpelier learned new details about both the personal and the financial
toll from Tropical Storm Irene. And some came with
particular requests to help their hard-hit districts.
Lawmakers
came back to the Statehouse on Thursday for a special briefing session about Tropical Storm Irene. There are still a lot of
questions about how the state is going to pay for recovery from the storm.
Legislators are meeting Thursday in Montpelier for an unusual briefing session. Thursday morning they heard from administration officials about relief efforts in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene.
Middlebury's Select Board is forming a special task force to
develop a plan for on-going management of the Middlebury River in the
wake of Tropical Storm Irene. Residents in East Middlebury have raised concerns about the dredging and re-channeling of the river following the storm.
At a legislative committee in
Montpelier Wednesday, lawmakers heard from hospital officials about how they've
had to step in after Tropical Storm Irene flooded Waterbury and forced
the State Hospital to close.
Governor
Peter Shumlin launched a long-term recovery plan Tuesday morning from the Tropical
Storm Irene floods. He
says a central part of the plan includes the continuation of a partnership
between state agencies and communities that were hit by the floods.
The Vermont Ski Areas Association was initially concerned that tourists might stay away from
Vermont, following news reports of extensive damage to the state.
More than two months after Tropical Storm Irene, some people are still
repairing their homes and getting ready for winter. In Brattleboro, some
people need help navigating through FEMA and finding money for repairs, and one woman is advocating for them.
One more of the transportation links that was broken during Tropical Storm
Irene's floods has been restored. Officials say Route 131 between Weathersfield and
Cavendish reopened Friday.
Residents
of some towns hit hard by Tropical Storm Irene say there's been a silver lining
to the experience: They discovered a
stronger community spirit. Some are
hoping to preserve that spirit and build on it to make their communities
stronger.
Congressman
Peter Welch says he's cautiously optimistic that Congress will give Vermont federal highway money to repair roads and bridges
damaged by Tropical Storm Irene. But Welch says it won't be easy to persuade Republican
House leaders.
Soil specialists say that
corn yields were already down 25 percent before Irene. Corn is an
important part of a farmer's feed for the year, so they say a lot
of testing is being conducted to figure out if that corn is safe.
A YouTube video of the Lower Bartonsville
Covered Bridge collapsing into the Williams
River near Bellows Falls came to symbolize the pounding Vermont took from
Tropical Storm Irene. Now it appears the bridge will rise again.
The Vermont Transportation Agency says a
short stretch of Route 14 in East
Montpelier has been reopened
after repairs to damage caused by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene.
As Vermont communities hit hard by Tropical Storm Irene move through the
process of recovery, they are marking progress with small, but important steps.
This week, Halloween was one such turning point for the town of
Waterbury.
The U.S. Senate has approved a bill that includes money to help Vermont
pay to rebuild the state's roads and bridges that were damaged by
flooding from Tropical Storm Irene.
Each year, emergency
planners gather in Stowe for a conference. But
Vermont Emergency Management says this weekend's meeting is a chance to talk about
what worked, and what didn't, in the emergency response to Tropical Storm
Irene.
Snow
this weekend knocked out power to millions across the eastern seaboard. After restoring power to about 13,000 customers in Vermont, Central Vermont Public Service and Green
Mountain Power sent utility crews to Maine and Connecticut to help there.
There's
been a big drop in the estimated cost of repairing state roads and bridges from
damages caused by Tropical Storm Irene. Governor Peter Shumlin says the state used a number of
shortcuts during the emergency repair period - and that cut costs by more than
half.
The
unexpected discovery of asbestos in some flood damaged mobile homes is driving
up the cost of removal. So state officials and a private philanthropy are
asking the public for help.
Cities
and towns across the state are trying to give some flexibility to people still
reeling from Tropical Storm Irene who are currently having trouble paying their taxes.
Governor
Peter Shumlin says Vermont could face a major financial squeeze if Congress
doesn't act soon to repay the state for more than half a billion dollars in
repair costs to the state's transportation system caused by Tropical Storm
Irene.
Vermont
officials are expected to give an update of damage estimates from Tropical
Storm Irene.
Two months ago, Tropical Storm Irene decimated Wilmington. Now, more than half of the downtown businesses are
still closed. And even as some businesses reopen, the owners say they
need other businesses to thrive.
When Tropical Storm Irene pounded the state in August, emergency
coordinators responded as best they could. Two months later, we look at the lessons
learned.
A temporary bridge
has opened on Route 12 in Barnard. The opening eliminates a six-mile detour,
and allows Route 12 to re-open for the 16-mile stretch between Woodstock and Bethel.
After Tropical Storm Irene, only communities that have adopted plans
to reduce damage from flooding will be
eligible to receive federal funding through a program that helps cities and towns build
smarter structures.
Many
homeowners lost their houses and belongings in the Tropical Storm Irene
floods. But many renters were also displaced by the disaster. Renters are eligible for help from FEMA, though
some are unhappy with the level of assistance they've gotten.
In
the days and weeks after Irene, excavators were allowed into rivers to extract
gravel to rebuild road beds and shore up banks. Now,
environmentalists are saying that some of that work has caused environmental
damage and raised the risk of future flooding.
State transportation officials say they are making significant progress
repairing roads and bridges throughout Vermont that were damaged by
Tropical Storm Irene, but some of the
repairs are temporary.
Two months after Tropical Storm Irene, cities and towns in and out of
the flood zone continue to review and revise their disaster response
plans.
Most of the
state's road network that was damaged by Irene has been repaired. However, no
one knows how long some of those repairs will last.
One of three regional hubs set up in Vermont to help restore mobility along state highways following Irene will close Friday.
In
the days and weeks after Irene, excavators were allowed into rivers with verbal
permission to extract
gravel to rebuild road beds and shore up banks. Environmentalists are saying much
of this work has caused more harm than good.
Preliminary
statistics show that Vermont's tourism industry weathered the fall foliage season
well, despite the damage from Tropical Storm Irene. But there are growing
concerns that another national recession could affect the state's fragile
revenue base.
In
Wilmington, local fundraising efforts are under way to help
businesses flooded by Irene. But
there's also an effort to persuade them to stay in the historic village
district.
Officials in Waterbury say they're disappointed that Governor Peter Shumlin
isn't making a firm commitment to bring back state employees displaced by Tropical
Storm Irene. But the town is finding a sympathetic ear among some legislative leaders.
Congressman Peter Welch is introducing a bill that would provide tax
relief for low-income Vermonters affected by Tropical Storm Irene.
VPR's Mitch Wertlieb follows the progress of Jon Graham and Beth Frock of Rochester, who's home was destroyed on August 28th during Tropical Storm Irene.
Jon
Graham and Beth Frock, whose Rochester home was destroyed by a brook that overran its banks during Tropical Storm Irene, are coping with the long road to recovery.
The damage done by Tropical
Storm Irene happened in a flash. Emergency repairs to reconnect the state's
roads, bridges and communications also happened relatively quickly. Now
the hard questions begin, and some of the hardest ones have to do with fixing
people's lives and restoring property that no longer exists.
With
the days before winter's first snowfall dwindling, volunteers descended on the
flood zone over the weekend to help communities and individuals clean up
Tropical Storm Irene damage.
Vermont lawmakers will be briefed today on the state's
building priorities.
Flood
cleanup efforts in areas hit hard by Tropical Storm Irene drew scores of
volunteers on Saturday. Governor Peter
Shumlin had asked people across the state to pitch in, hoping for at least one last push
before winter arrives.
Vermont Democrats are taking issue with a comment by Lieutenant Governor
Phil Scott that most of the Tropical Storm Irene cleanup work has been
done by Republicans.
Many
Vermont homeowners, renters, and business owners struggling
to recover from Tropical Storm Irene are being encouraged to apply for
assistance from FEMA or the Small Business Administration.
The
facility in Waterbury was heavily damaged by Tropical Storm Irene and more than 50 patients at
the hospital have been housed in several different locations around the state. Shumlin says the hospital was a terrible facility before Irene.
Seeking normalcy has been difficult for some families affected by Tropical Storm Irene flooding, and educators say
some students are coming to school with new anxieties.
Local lenders are
trying to work with borrowers whose property was severely damaged by
Tropical Storm Irene. In some cases, homeowners are faced with paying a mortgage on
property that no longer exists.
Mobile home owners who were forced to flee from Irene's
flooding say they're frustrated with state and federal response. But they've also been cheered by some recent good news about the cost of
disposing of ruined homes.
The state of Vermont is looking for ideas on what to do with its Waterbury office complex, which has been closed since it was flooded
by Tropical Storm Irene.
Community hospitals around the state continue to grapple with the
challenges posed by flooding at the State Hospital.
A new task force will address complicated legal questions that are arising post-Irene: What happens if your house and property were destroyed, but you still have
a mortgage? Who owns the river that now runs through your land?
VIDEO: 'The Spirit Of Vermont'
Farmers at Burlington's Intervale are used to flooding, but they've been hit twice in one year, and many are down about the season.
Senate President John Campbell says the problem is that for many people the floods destroyed both their homes and in some cases the land
that the homes stood on.
Vermont towns damaged by Tropical Storm Irene are still
waiting to learn how much financial help they'll get from the federal
government for damaged roads, bridges and buildings. In
the meantime, the bills are coming in for the repair work. A number of towns are borrowing money to cover those
costs.
The leader of the
Vermont Senate says he wants to set up a special task force to study unique
legal issues raised by the destruction of real property during Tropical Storm
Irene.
Governor Peter Shumlin says the state will reimburse towns for some
of the property tax payments they expect to lose because of flood
damage. The governor says the plan is designed to make sure that homeowners and business owners can apply to towns for tax relief.
Tropical
Storm Irene tested emergency response plans in several Vermont cities and towns. In some cases, those plans proved
to be insufficient. Now many Vermont towns, including some that weren't even hit by
flooding, are re-crafting their plans.
Vermont transportation officials say they've opened two
temporary bridges to replace bridges that were closed by Irene's flooding.
Officials in Moretown are hoping to resume real estate transactions in the next week or so. Most real estate transactions in the town have come to a halt because some essential documents
were saturated during Irene's flooding.
Governor Peter Shumlin says he's putting together a plan to ease
property tax burdens in communities that have suffered enormous damage
from Tropical Storm Irene.
State Auditor Tom Salmon is reminding municipalities that their forms
requesting assistance must be submitted by the close of business October
17th.
After Tropical Storm Irene raged through Wilmington in August most of the
downtown businesses closed. About a quarter have
re-opened. Others are scrambling to get ready for the ski season.
The last section
of the Long Trail damaged by Irene has reopened.
A train load of
rocks will travel from Winooski to help rebuild a key state highway in Stockbridge.
A top Vermont state official says the state is looking at multiple
regional secure psychiatric hospitals to replace the flooded state hospital in Waterbury.
Governor
Peter Shumlin says Vermont will face a financial disaster if Washington doesn't fully
reimburse the state for damage to the state's highway system caused by Tropical
Storm Irene. Shumlin
says the state could be on the hook for more than half a billion dollars in
repair costs.
Governor Peter Shumlin discusses the latest damage estimates from Tropical Storm Irene and we listen back to the voices in the news this week.
VTrans' Kevin Marshia and Shayne Jaquith of the Agency of Natural Resources have been working together in assessing the road repairs and river adjustments that have been made since Tropical Storm Irene struck Vermont.
A
Vermont town is struggling to pay a staggering garbage bill
after Tropical Storm Irene, and officials there say one of two vendors is
charging far too much.
The Latchis hotel
has been closed since the Whetstone Brook flooded in late August and knocked
out the hotel's electrical and other systems.
Six weeks after Irene's
flooding, Rochester residents are still searching for remains of people
whose graves were ripped up by raging waters.
Dealing
with the aftermath of Irene has delayed Governor Peter Shumlin's timetable for
filling a vacancy on the Vermont Supreme Court. But it's likely that the Governor will name a new
justice by the end of the month.
Lawmakers got some preliminary figures Wednesday on the costs associated
with Irene. And they learned that state highway projects are at risk of being
delayed or canceled unless Congress steps in with more money.
Almost $30 million in
federal assistance has been approved for Vermonters to help repair
property damaged during Tropical Storm Irene.
Vermonters in storm damaged areas are working to
get roads passable and homes livable by winter. But some have nothing left to fix. In Jamaica, Tropical Storm Irene
took out four houses and the land beneath them.
Vermont lawmakers are set to get a progress report and the
latest cost estimates on the massive road repairs made necessary by the
remnants of Tropical Storm Irene.
Governor Peter Shumlin is asking Vermonters to volunteer a day of their
time to help communities recover from Tropical
Storm Irene damage. Shumlin announced Tuesday a special website created to match volunteers with the needs of towns.
More than a month after Tropical Storm Irene
turned many Vermont houses into piles of rubble, a couple from the Upper Valley
are still picking up their neighbors' debris and hauling it to the local
transfer station. But Hartford, like many other towns, can no
longer afford to waive the disposal fees.
Six weeks after Tropical Storm Irene ripped apart some 700 homes around
Vermont, families are now struggling with how to
recover financially, and trying to figure out whether their losses are covered
by insurance.
As the days grow shorter and colder, cities and towns are considering speeding
up building permitting to help residents who urgently want
to repair or rebuild their flood-damaged homes and businesses before winter.
Three
hill towns that were isolated from the rest of the state after Tropical Storm
Irene are considering improving a Class 4 road that would reconnect local
routes this winter.
The Vermont
Health Department is offering crisis counseling and emotional support to Vermonters affected
by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene.
A
federal agency is investigating whether towns have violated the Clean Water Act
when they did excavation work in streams following Tropical Storm Irene. The
Army Corps of Engineers has notified the town of Middlebury about possible violations. A
spokesman for the Corps says the agency is looking into other cases as well.
The
Shumlin Administration says it will ask the federal government to give the
state some additional money to help fix roads and bridges damaged by Irene. The
request could bring an additional $100 million to Vermont.
Businesses that rely on tourism say this weekend and next are critical to their
bottom line. Despite
the damage caused by Irene, the promise of bright foliage is keeping
tourists coming. That's a big change from six weeks ago.
Rutland's annual Art in the Park and the Stowe Foliage Arts Festival
will be held this weekend. These
and other craft shows across Vermont generate millions for the state economy. But
this year, organizers say there's a lot more uncertainty about attendance and
revenue.
Mental
health advocates are urging the Shumlin Administration not to reopen the antiquated
state hospital in Waterbury. Meanwhile,
officials say they're making progress on finding space for some of the patients at a residential facility in Williston.
A section of Route 100 in the southern Vermont town of Readsboro that was heavily damaged by Tropical Storm Irene has
reopened.
The state is still tallying the total damages from Tropical Storm Irene,
but the overall cost could exceed $2 billion when state and town
infrastructure damages are combined with private property loss.
While many towns in Vermont are struggling with damage from Tropical Storm Irene,
few have had to deal with quite so many difficulties this year as downtown Brattleboro, including a massive fire in April that tore
through the historic Brooks House, displacing dozens of residents and
businesses, and two community-rattling homicides.
There's
a controversy growing about the future of the state office complex in Waterbury. Business
leaders and local officials want the Shumlin administration to commit to reopening
the complex and returning state employees who were displaced by the flood. But the governor says it's
too early to make that pledge.
Five
weeks after Tropical Storm Irene devastated the state, officials are still adding
up the cost of recovery, and figuring out how to pay for it. Governor Peter Shumlin says the delay is frustrating.
But he says much depends on how much assistance the state gets from Washington.
In the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, cities and towns across the flood
zone are trying to minimize the burden on property owners looking to
rebuild before winter sets in.
The lights are back on at Brattleboro's iconic Latchis Theater and Hotel
for the first time since Tropical Storm Irene's floods.
One headache wrought by Tropical Storm Irene has been damage to some of the
state's septic tanks.
Some Bethel residents question whether minutes of recent
select board meetings accurately reflect all that's happened since Tropical
Storm Irene.
The
Vermont state employees union says at least 100 state workers
displaced by the recent floods are entitled to double wages. The move sets up a fight
between the union and the Shumlin administration.
UVM says state scientists began moving in about two weeks ago, and everyone should be in the temporary space by the middle of October.
Over
the past five weeks, hundreds of volunteers have helped fuel Waterbury's short-term flood recovery effort. But local officials say they now need to develop a different
model to help guide the town's long-term recovery.
The town of Dover is dependent on tourism driven largely by nearby Mount Snow, and, in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, the Select Board there has decided to use some proceeds from the local one-percent sales tax to fund a marketing campaign.
The town of Bethel is holding an emergency meeting Monday night in response to Tropical Storm Irene flooding. It's the first select board meeting the town has publicly called since the flood devastated the Windsor County town.
Tropical Storm Irene destroyed the home of Beth Frock and Jon Graham of Rochester.
The couple is coping with a tremendous upheaval to their lives, and they've recently learned insurance won't pay for the damages.
Tropical
Storm Irene's floods moved a lot of soil. And now heavy machinery used in
reconstruction has done the same thing. And that could cause big problems for farmland
because there can be invasive plants in the soil.
Tropical
Storm Irene's floodwaters marked an early end of the growing season for many Vermont vegetable growers. The
University of Vermont Extension Service estimates
that three dozen growers lost $2-million-dollars worth of vegetables to the flooding. And many are doing
what they can now to get ready for spring.
Cities and towns are still adding up flood damage caused by Tropical
Storm Irene as they prepare to apply for federal disaster relief money. In Ripton, the select board says the total cost to town roads will exceed $100,000.
The last 13 members of the Maine National Guard who
helped with post-Irene clean up left Vermont for home Friday morning.
VPR's Bob Kinzel talks with Vermont Agriculture Secretary Chuck Ross about the extent of flood damage to Vermont farms and how they are recovering.
Tropical Storm Irene inflicted heavy damage in the White River Valley. VPR's Morning Edition speaks with the editor of the Herald of Randolph, one of the many Vermont news outlets following Irene's aftermath.
Most towns have gratefully accepted offers of help from neighbors in the
month since Tropical Storm Irene ripped through Vermont. But officials in one Windsor County town have
largely declined similar assistance. Some say that's thwarting the
town's recovery.
The Select Board in Dover has voted to spend $100,000 to promote tourism
and help local businesses still feeling the effects of Tropical Storm
Irene.
"Task Force Green Mountain Spirit" is the name
the Vermont National Guard chose for its flood recovery mission in its home
state. As the mission ends and the soldiers head home,
they say that spirit isn't just something they brought with them. It's
something they found, and shared in the towns where they've spent the past
month working.
After Irene washed roads into rivers, the state allowed work crews to clean up the material and move excavators into streams to clear stream channels. Environmentalists
say the state has gone too far.
When
tropical storm Irene hit Vermont,
the State Office Complex in Waterbury
suffered enormous damage. Now,
four weeks later, many of the 1,500 state employees who worked there have been
relocated to temporary offices in Chittenden and Washington counties.
Vermont's
crime lab has reopened after losing power in Tropical Storm Irene. Unlike the rest of the state office complex
in Waterbury, the lab was not flooded.
The town of Waterbury has hired two lobbying firms to make the case to
state officials that 1,500 state jobs should remain in the community after
flooding from Tropical Storm Irene made their offices unusable.
One month after Tropical Storm Irene, towns are starting to see a decrease in volunteer assistance.
Cities and towns in Vermont now have an extra 16 days to apply for
federal disaster assistance to help them recover and rebuild after
Tropical Storm Irene. Officials say this won't
affect the October 31st deadline for individuals applying for
assistance.
Communities across the state are working nonstop to recover from
last month's flooding. Often the work is being done by people who never asked for the job. In Stockbridge, many have stepped
in to help.
Millions
of dollars have been donated so far for Irene relief. We'll
look at what's happening to all that money, from how funds are administered, to how eligibility is
determined, and the time line for applying for and receiving aid.
After being separated during Tropical Storm Irene, a beloved Weathersfield family pet survived and has returned to her owners.
Another milestone this week for repairs on Route 4 in Mendon. Construction crews hope to finish replacing a damaged
sewer line this week. Once that's
finished, crews will be able to repave and reopen the highway's third lane.
It's
not the kind of anniversary that anyone wants to celebrate, but it was one
month ago today that Tropical Storm Irene swept through the state of Vermont. While life has returned to normal in much of the
state, there are still areas and people struggling daily with the aftermath.
The Vermont Agency of Transportation plans to
open seven temporary bridges by the end of October to replace those damaged by
Irene.
The
repair costs to state roads and bridges damaged by Tropical Storm Irene continue
to climb. The new projections come at a time when the state is
trying to get a lot more federal money to help repair Vermont's transportation infrastructure.
The deadline for public assistance disaster fund applications is this Saturday for most Vermont counties. These are federal funds made available from an emergency disaster declaration signed
by President Obama following Tropical Storm Irene.
One month after the devastating floods of Tropical Storm Irene, the state and communities are assessing what's been done to recover - and what remains to be done.
The
U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 11 counties as primary natural
disaster areas, meaning they'll be eligible for low-interest loans to help them
get back on track, but farmers in all 14 counties are eligible for disaster
aid. Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan is in Vermont this week to see the damage from the flooding
first-hand,
Low income advocates and mobile home owners
are calling for more help for trailer park residents affected by Tropical Storm
Irene. They
say many mobile home owners don't have the resources to recover from the
flooding, and so far government assistance isn't enough.
Governor
Peter Shumlin has announced the formation of a non profit group that will help
Vermonters recover from damages caused by Tropical Storm Irene.
Some
Vermonters are depending on Washington as they struggle to recover from Tropical Storm
Irene. Though
the debate over federal funding for disaster relief has been resolved for now,
many are fed up with being caught in the middle of congressional standoffs.
The
congressional fight over disaster funding that had the potential to partially
shut down the government has been diffused.
Gov. Peter Shumlin announced the federal
disaster declaration yesterday. He says
he hopes farmers who lost crops and equipment in the spring and summer storms
will move quickly to seek emergency loan assistance from the Farm Service
Agency.
Among the casualties of Tropical Storm Irene was the Weston Playhouse. Their season opened with new renovations, thanks to a million
dollar capital campaign. But most of
those improvements were undone by Irene's floodwaters.
Vermont
Republican leaders are urging on Governor Peter Shumlin to call a special
legislative session to deal with the recovery issues associated with Tropical Storm Irene. They also want him to
pledge not to raise any taxes to help
rebuild Vermont.
Valley News reporter John Gregg talks with VPR's Jane Lindholm about the status of the businesses along Route 12A in West Lebanon, New Hampshire, that sustained damages from Tropical Storm Irene.
Senators Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy headed back to Washington on Monay. Vermont's two senators are scheduled to rejoin the ongoing debate over how to pay for federal disaster relief.
It's now been one month since raging Tropical Storm Irene floodwater decimated their house at the edge of Rochester village, and Jon
Graham and Beth Frock think their story illustrates the challenges faced by people
in the flood zone.
Many
cities and towns ordered heavy machinery into rivers after the floods to shore up
banks and reroute streams. That's
what Middlebury did, even though the town was relatively unscathed. Residents and state officials now worry that
rechanneling the Middlebury River might exacerbate future flooding.
Senator Patrick
Leahy will join a celebration to mark the reopening of the Moretown Post
Office, which had been closed since Irene hit the state.
Governor Peter Shumlin held a news
conference Monday to announce his support for the Vermont
Long Term Disaster Recovery Group.
Nearly a month after Irene flooded Vermont, results of household well tests are beginning to
come in to the state laboratory. And in some cases, water has been contaminated.
Earlier: Department Of Health Urges Water Testing
Jamaica is one town whose landscape was dramatically changed by the floodwaters of Tropical Storm Irene. Three and a half weeks later, the sound of heavy equipment is everywhere, and progress is being made.
Communities
hit hard by Tropical Storm Irene are now racing the clock to get critical
recovery work done before winter arrives. There are a wide variety of priorities that local
towns want to address before temperatures drop below freezing.
Flooding from Tropical Storm Irene wreaked havoc with Rutland's water system. But
after four weeks, Mayor Chris Louras says the city has finally managed to
restore its normal connection to Mendon Brook, its primary water source.
The Agency of Transportation announced today
that an additional 20 miles of road have been reopened on Route
100 between West Bridgewater and Ludlow. But several projects could take until
Christmas to complete.
Officials have confirmed that the body found in a wooded area in Rutland is that of
Michael Gregory Garofano. He disappeared with his father after the two went to check on the Rutland water plant during
Tropical Storm Irene.
Some Vermont towns sent public works crews and others to help towns that suffered flood damage. But now, they're looking for the state to help them with insurance.
Members of Vermont's congressional delegation find themselves in the
center of the latest battle in Washington over federal spending for flood recovery and other disasters.
Emergency funding to help pay for flood recovery in Vermont has been jeopardized by the latest political crisis in Washington.
Congressman
Peter Welch says he is "absolutely confident" that Vermont will receive several $100 million in
federal disaster relief aid in the coming weeks.
The effect of Tropical Storm Irene on Vermont's fish is still being assessed, but
experts say both the storm - and the stream dredging that followed it - has had
an impact on fish numbers and, more importantly, on habitat.
The town of Rockingham is going out to bid for bridge repairs, and
holding a series of community meetings to discuss options for the
historic Bartonsville Bridge, three weeks after Tropical Storm Irene
swept it down river.
Governor Peter Shumlin says a Vermont National Guard member has died of
an apparent heart attack while helping residents recover from Tropical
Storm Irene.
We hear how communities hit hardest by Tropical Storm Irene are responding, political scientist Eric Davis looks at how Irene has altered Vermont's political landscape and we listen back to the voices in the news this week.
In the aftermath of Irene, one common theme that's emerged is the way towns have pulled together in the effort to recover. That's
certainly true in the small mountain town of Stockbridge, where the
damage to roads, in particular, was some of the worst in the state.
Irene's floodwaters took a toll on Vermont's fish populations, and wildlife officials are assessing mortality rates and the changes to habitat.
About 100 unemployed Vermonters will be
getting temporary jobs to help the state clean up and recover from flooding
caused by Tropical Storm Irene.
Commentator Bill mares reflects on volunteering at the Tunbridge
fair, two weeks after Irene's flood roared through towns across Vermont -
including Tunbridge.
Governor
Peter Shumlin has unveiled a plan to provide loans to
towns that suffered extensive damage from last month's flooding. The loans are designed to help towns spread their costs out over a number of
years.
A look at how to rebuild our homes, roads and state buildings smarter after Tropical Storm Irene and a program that captures the reflections of a group of young Vermonters' highs and lows of their lives.
The
challenge in Vermont to re-build roads and bridges left crippled by Tropical
Storm Irene will come at a cost. How much isn't known yet, but complicating the
bottom line is the desire to rebuild roads to be better than they were before
to make sure future storms don't wreak as much havoc as Irene did.
When commentator, filmmaker and Marlboro
College teacher Jay Craven set out
for southern Vermont, in the face
of warnings for Hurricane Irene, he figured he'd emerge with some kind of
story - and he did.
Up and down the state, Tropical Storm Irene flooding has torn
apart Vermont communities, in many cases overwhelming strained town
governments. In Granville, residents have begun
to regain some sense of control - and some sense of place - before
winter sets in.
A temporary bridge has opened on Route 105 in
Brighton to replace the bridge ripped apart by Tropical Storm
Irene.
Vermont
households that receive food stamps and who also lost food during Tropical
Storm Irene because of flooding or power outages are getting more time to
request extra benefits.
A group of business
owners in Wilmington, which was devastated by Tropical Storm Irene, are going
to raise recovery money with an event they're calling "floodstock."
The Salvation Army says it needs volunteers
to help at its flood recovery center in Rutland.
Vermont libraries still recovering from Tropical Storm Irene damage are serving as community gathering places.
Vermonter
Bill McKibben has been writing and warning about the effects of a changing
climate for decades. More recently the Middlebury College Distinguished
Scholar has been working to stop the Keystone XL Pipeline that would bring oil
from the Canadian tar sands to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico.
Vermont dairy farmers who were cut off by Tropical Storm
Irene's floods are trying to get their operations back to normal. Fifteen
farmers had to dump milk immediately after the storm because trucks couldn't
make it to their farms to haul it away. Most
are now able to get their milk to market, and they're assessing the loss.
Now
that Route 4 has reopened between Killington and Rutland a half mile hiking
trail that was being used by hundreds of commuters every day will no longer be
needed. While
everyone is happy to have the road open, many say they'll miss the camaraderie
of the trail.
The Vermont
Health Department is offering homeowners cleaning up from Irene tips on how to
get rid of mold.
More than 100 houses across
the state were completely destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene. Now, their owners
are just beginning the process of figuring out how to put their lives back
together. The small town of Plymouth is rallying around several neighbors who lost
homes.
Congressman
Peter Welch says GOP leaders in the House are "playing politics" with a federal
disaster relief bill that would help many northeastern states, including Vermont. Republican leaders say any additional money for the
Federal Emergency Management Agency must be cut from other programs. Welch is
strongly opposed to that approach.
Nearly three weeks after Irene hit, people in
some areas have been living without phone service. Their roads are impassable. And the landscape is still scarred. Some residents are worn
out physically - and emotionally.
Volunteer
search parties will be combing the woods around Hogback Mountain in Marlboro this weekend. They're hoping for
clues pointing to the whereabouts of a missing Brattleboro high school senior.
The
state hopes to open several buildings in the Waterbury Office complex in the
next few weeks weren't badly damaged by Tropical Storm Irene. The future of the rest of the complex is very much
in doubt.
Gov. Peter Shumlin says he's asking Washington for a public assistance declaration for Grand Isle County that would result in federal aid for repairing roads,
bridges and other infrastructure damaged by Tropical Storm Irene.
Federal
disaster officials are trying to get the word out that Vermonters affected by
flooding should register with Federal Emergency Management Administration as
soon as possible.
Route
4 reopened quietly Thursday. The governor will hold a more formal ribbon
cutting ceremony on Friday. The road's closure and quick repair has stirred up a
lot of emotions for the people who depend on it.
Two
weeks ago, Plymouth was one of the 13 towns isolated by Irene. Big
chunks of the state routes in and out of town, were washed away entirely, and
other nearby roads were impassable. Now,
two of those three routes are in remarkably good shape.
More than
4,200 Vermonters have registered with the Federal Emergency Management
Agency for relief from the floods. Senator Bernie
Sanders that underscores the need for Congress to act quickly to appropriate
money to refill the coffers at FEMA.
Hundreds of Vermonters
are going through the process of seeking federal help in recovering from
flooding related to Tropical Storm Irene.
Phish played before 12,000 or so fans who
bought tickets to enjoy a 3-hour show at the Champlian Valley Expo last night,
with proceeds going to aid the thousands of people around the state hit hard by
Tropical Storm Irene.
A
new bill introduced by Congressman Peter Welch would help small farms whose
crops were destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene.
Bennington is borrowing up to $5 million to help pay the
cost of recovering from flooding caused by Tropical Storm Irene.
A group of alumni from the Weston Playhouse are planning a Broadway fund raiser in New York to help the theater recover from last month's flooding.
The Vermont Transportation Agency says three
bridges have been reopened on Route 12A making it easier for people in Roxbury,
Granville and Braintree to reach the rest of the state.
More than 700 homes in Vermont were damaged or destroyed by flooding
from Tropical Storm Irene, and 4,400 households have registered for
assistance with FEMA. We look at the programs available for homeowners to recover.
State
officials are concerned that the state's share of repairing Vermont roads and bridges could be as much as $80 million. That's because there are caps on how much money the
federal government will cover.
All
of Vermont's schools have re-opened in the aftermath of Irene. But some schools have had to find novel ways to
conduct classes or help students readjust after the effects of the storm.
More than two weeks after
Tropical Storm Irene flooded Vermont, the Vermont and the New Hampshire
Valley American Red Cross has closed the last of its shelters set up to
house residents displaced by flooding or flood damage.
Vermont transportation officials are reminding drivers that a
section of Route 107 in Stockbridge that was washed out by Irene remains closed
to all traffic, except emergency vehicles.
Low-interest state loans are being offered to businesses and farms that
suffered flood damage. The
$10 million program will be paid for through a combination of state funds
and economic development money.
In the aftermath of the storm, Commentator Tom Slayton has been giving
some thought to the spirit of Vermonters and their tireless efforts in
putting the state back together.
As road reconstruction continues
across Vermont's flood zone, the Vermont Transportation Agency says it is currently
prioritizing east-west routes where many roads have been impassable.
Organizers
of a social media Web site that coordinates flood-relief volunteers say they've
already seen a drop-off in the number of people offering to help clean up. VTResponse.com is now trying to rekindle the
volunteer spirit and make sure assistance remains available.
A $1,000-dollar
reward is being offered for information leading to a Vermont teenager who disappeared the day before Tropical
Storm Irene hit the state.
More
sections of the Green Mountain National
Forest are
re-opening, as crews work to evaluate conditions of roads, trails and
recreational facilities following Tropical Storm Irene.
Grants of up to
$10,000 are now available to Vermont farms damaged by the remnants of Hurricane Irene.
Dozens of local and statewide fundraising efforts have sprung up
throughout Vermont in the past two weeks to help homeowners, businesses
and farmers recover from damages caused by Tropical Storm Irene.
Crews from the city
water department and area construction companies have been working around the
clock to restore Rutland's water system, which was badly damaged in the flooding from Tropical Storm Irene.
As towns across the
state work to rebuild transportation infrastructure devastated by Irene, one local official is warning
others to work closely with FEMA from the outset in their effort to recover the cost of those
repairs.
State Representative Willem Jewett of Ripton shares his town's experience working with FEMA in 2008, and recommendations for towns just beginning the process.
Neale
Lunderville took on a number of roles in the administration of Republican
Governor Jim Douglas, and now he's been chosen by the current Democratic
Governor Peter Shumlin to bring his expertise to bear on a major rebuilding
challenge.
Vermont state police are investigating the thefts of 15
generators from a Red Cross warehouse in North Clarendon.
Since floods devastated the
state last month, Governor Peter Shumlin has been traveling
all over the state, consoling those who need it. He's won near universal praise for
his handling of the disaster, but Shumlin may face more
criticism as the flood recovery continues.
The state Department of Labor says it can
help find workers for cleanup, repair and demolition work following Tropical
Storm Irene.
Friends and family gathered
in Ludlow Friday to remember 50-year-old
Kevin Davis. Davis was a well-known member of the community who
drowned during Tropical Storm Irene.
Isolation and lack of
communication have been huge issues in towns stranded by Tropical Storm Irene. People in southern Vermont's Deerfield and West River Valleys are accustomed to living without cell phone reception. In two hard-hit towns, emergency portable cell phone towers are making a
difference.
Some
lawmakers want Governor Peter Shumlin to call a special legislative session to
deal with recovery from Tropical Storm Irene's floods, even though he says it's
premature. But the Legislature
doesn't need the governor's cooperation.
After Tropical Storm Irene, homeowners in the flood zone whose wells or septic systems were inundated need to check the safety of their drinking water. The Department of Health says it will test wells for free.
The day after
Irene, state and local officials began the work of rebuilding Vermont's devastated transportation infrastructure, with the
goal of having all the roads passable again by winter. Discussions are just beginning about whether there
are specific ways to rebuild that might minimize such widespread
destruction in the future.
Friends and family gathered in Ludlow Friday afternoon to remember 50 year old Kevin Davis. Davis was a well-known member
of the community who drowned during Tropical Storm Irene.
Vermonters
looking for hunting licenses are being urged to buy them online or, if
they're permanent licenses for residents 65 and older, to get them from
the Agency of Natural Resources' office in Barre.
Vermont's Travel Industry is developing a coordinated and
proactive strategy to encourage people from out of state to visit Vermont during the upcoming fall foliage season. The state's Tourism Department website will
play a critical role in telling visitors which flood damaged areas should be
avoided.
Rutland City Hall will be closed Friday to allow city workers to attend the funeral for water plant manager Michael
Garofano and his 24 year old
son, Michael Gregory. The two were checking intake valves during the height of Tropical Storm
Irene when they were apparently swept away by rising water.
Governor Peter Shumlin has reached out to a veteran state administrator to
oversee Vermont's recovery from Tropical Storm Irene. Shumlin
appointed Neale Lunderville, who served under former Governor Jim Douglas, to coordinate the state's efforts.
Governor Peter Shumlin says the major east-west
roads across flood ravaged sections of the state will reopen soon.
The
Senate Appropriations committee has approved a $4.2 billion
increase for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Disaster Relief Fund.
Congressman
Peter Welch is building a bipartisan coalition of House members to ensure that
Congress appropriates enough money to pay for disaster relief efforts in all
the states hit hard by tropical storm Irene.
While
the exact cost of fixing local flood damaged roads and bridges is still being
tabulated, it's clear that a number of communities will face large financial
burdens to repair their transportation infrastructure.
The
Federal Emergency Management Agency says unscrupulous repairmen sometimes pose
as government inspectors. FEMA officials say the public should always ask for
identification to make sure they are dealing with legitimate inspectors.
The Vermont Department of
Emergency Management says continued heavy rains from the remnants of
Tropical Storm Lee have caused only minor problems in the state.
Patients from the flooded Vermont State Hospital have been taken in at the Brattleboro Retreat.
As the cleanup in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene continues, the rebuilding
process has begun. For many, federal
assistance is critical to the effort to repair the losses to homes and
businesses.
Nearly every river in
southern Vermont adjusted course or experienced severe erosion in the
flooding ten days ago. Experts say much of the destruction was caused by Vermont's geology, coupled with hundreds of years of
human intervention.
Route 9, the main east-west route from Bennington to Brattleboro, has washed out again. State police say heavy rains over the past 24
hours have made the road impassable in the town of Marlboro.
Our post-storm coverage continues with a look at how businesses are coping after the flooding and destruction and we hear how the events of September 11th are being taught in Vermont schools.
As people struggle to get back on their feet following Tropical Storm
Irene, resources have become available for helping them take care of their pets.
Last week, Sen.
Patrick Leahy touring damaged areas by
helicopter. He's now working on getting federal aid
dollars to flood victims in Vermont and other areas hit hard by Irene.
VPR covers Tropical Storm Irene: the floods, the damage, and the rebuilding in Vermont.
When all of Irene's rain
poured into rivers across the state, many surged over their banks, inundating
towns and farmland. And some even changed course, and cut new paths through
roads and backyards.
Vermont's farmers are among those devastated by flooding from
Tropical Storm Irene. Agriculture
Secretary Chuck Ross says damage reports are still coming in.
Cities
and towns hit hard by Tropical Storm Irene are scrambling to set up bank accounts
to collect the financial support they've received.
As Vermonters are
still recovering from Tropical Storm Irene, lawmakers on Capitol are fighting over
how to pay for the emergency funding.
Cleanup and repair efforts are going on all over
the state, and many local businesses are trying to get
back to some sense of normalcy. In Brandon, local business owners
say as long as the roads stay open, they will, too.
Vermont Transportation Secretary Brian
Searles is warning the public to be on the lookout for sink holes and slope
failures that continue to be found in roads following Tropical Storm Irene.
The rock band Phish is returning to its roots
in Vermont to help the victims of Tropical Storm Irene with a
benefit concert.
Vermont's largest electric company says all of its customers
who could have their power restored safely after last week's flooding have the
lights back on.
With more than 700 homes destroyed or severely damaged by recent floods, the
Shumlin administration has launched several initiatives to help people find
housing. Part of the plan includes a plea to second homeowners to open their
property to displaced Vermonters.
As the floodwaters began to recede,
commentator Stephanie Greene has found herself contemplating what it
means to have connections - both the local kind, and the virtual
kind.
The State Office Complex has suffered "an extensive catastrophe" to its entire
infrastructure following recent flooding, which raises the question of whether or
not it makes sense to renovate the buildings.
This week on The Vermont Garden Journal, host Charlie Nardozzi shares tips on dealing with flooded plants.
State and federal officials say they've been able to measure some of the damage to homes and apartments from last week's floods.
Situated
along Route 100, the town of Pittsfield was separated from the rest of the state for days
following the storm. Several houses were destroyed and there was one swift
water rescue.
As
the wrath of the flood came and went, an arc of emotion washed over
all of us, but especially those in the direct line of the flooding.
VPR's John Van Hoesen experienced first-hand the power of the flood
and has this essay.
Many
farms in Vermont are struggling to clean-up and move forward after the
flooding associated with Tropical Storm Irene. Agriculture
officials say that many dairy farmers may have to destroy hay and corn crops
that were inundated with flood waters. And
vegetable growers are also dealing with the loss of crops.
Over
the past week many neighbors have pulled together to recover
from the flooding. But
the flood could also pull neighborhoods apart.
Work crews have reconnected a water pipeline
linking the town of Bennington to a water treatment plant in Woodford as they work
on repairs from Irene.
Police say a 52-year-old Brattleboro man has been identified as the person who died after
riding his bicycle into a brook-going off a section of road washed out by
flooding from Tropical Storm Irene.
A
Vermont Emergency Management official says that despite almost a day of heavy
rains across much of the state no new flooding has been reported.
Crews
from the Maine Department of Transportation are heading to Vermont to assist in post-Irene road construction.
The State's Health Commissioner is urging people who are cleaning up
following Tropical Storm Irene to be aware of safety hazards.
More than 300 houses were destroyed in Vermont by Tropical Storm Irene.
The trauma of losing a home creates financial, logistical and emotional
chaos for the families involved.This is story of one of those homeowners.
Vermont Agriculture Secretary Chuck Ross discusses the damage done to crops and fields across the state by Tropical Storm Irene.
Vermont Emergency Management says there are reports of minor flash flooding, and some flood-weary Vermont towns are preparing for evacuation.
The
Green Mountain National
Forest is
continuing to assess damage to roads and trails within their boundaries. And so
the forest and its trails remain closed.
Many
in Vermont are anxiously watching the weather, as more rain is
forecast for the region today, touching off flash flood warnings.
William
Hanley
Today in one of the towns
hardest hit by Tropical Storm Irene, hundreds of volunteers will be cooking
food and handing out much-needed supplies.
Investigators say a fire that destroyed an
unoccupied Clarendon house that had been condemned because of damages from
Tropical Storm Irene was intentionally set.
National Guard
troops from Virginia, South Carolina and Maine are arriving in Vermont to assist in the clean-up from Tropical Storm Irene.
An
inspection found that five of the state's railroad bridges have major
structural damage and need major repairs before they can re-open.
Churches
across the flood zone are beginning the difficult task of ministering to their
members struck by the powerful floods last weekend.
Scores
of volunteers turned out on Sunday at the Perley Farm in Royalton to help clean
out a dairy operation that took a direct hit from last weekend's floods. Even Governor Peter Shumlin showed up with
federal officials to thank the volunteers.
Volunteers in Chittenden worked over the weekend to gather food,
and other emergency supplies for people still trapped along Route 100 in Pittsfield and
Stockbridge.
Earlier this week, the Windham County town of Marlboro was one of the 13 isolated towns. It was cut off on all sides
by torn up roads caused by the torrents of Irene. Crews have worked tirelessly
to patch together temporary connecting roads.
Towns and state government try to look after essential services amid the flood damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene.
A week after Tropical Storm Irene struck Vermont, transportation officials are urging people to stay away from damaged areas.
Governor Peter Shumlin says Vermonters need to be prepared for
thunderstorms and flash flood watches that are in the forecast for the
next day or so.
With so many roads out in the state, many commuters have had to get
creative to get to work. Hundreds of people
in and around Killington have taken to the woods.
In the wake of Hurricane and Tropical Storm Irene, one social media
Website launched by a young Winooski woman has emerged as the leader in
aggregating volunteer information and coordinating the relief effort.
Seven days ago, severe flooding began in Vermont as Tropical Storm Irene deluged the southern half of the state. We look back at the experiences of the flood, and ahead to the next phases of recovery.
Two-hundred members from the Maine National Guard soldiers are arriving Saturday evening in Vermont to assist with flood recovery. They'll be
working with Vermont Guard soldiers to reopen roadways.
Across the state Saturday, Vermonters have been trying to lend a hand to flood victims. Red
Cross officials in the state say that -- as generous as Vermonters are
being -- donations of materials goods are difficult to sort and match
with people who need them.
Governor Peter Shumlin says his administration has relaxed environmental
rules to allow work crews to quickly rebuild roads destroyed by
floodwaters.
Route 4 from Bridgewater through Killington to Mendon remains closed to
traffic, but officials have organized a bus service to provide some
access and transportation along that corridor.
A man from Sandgate, trying to help a friend affected by Tropical Storm Irene flooding, took a two-day tour of back roads.
The state's
largest utility says all but 800 of its customers have their power back after
five days of frantic repairs in the aftermath of the storm.
Preliminary estimates are beginning to come in for the damage to Vermont from this week's floods. State
officials say the cost will total in the tens of millions of dollars and that
early damage estimates are sure to rise.
The Agency of Agriculture is still assessing the damage to the state's dairy farms following Tropical Storm Irene. Officials say there were as many as 15 farms that had to dump milk because they couldn't ship it.
The second round of severe flooding in Vermont this year has commentator and
former jouralist Louis Porter, now Lake Champlain Lakekeeper for the
Conservation Law Foundation, thinking about the state's past
relationship with high water - and its future.
Many
have corn and hay crops that were submerged in floodwater and may now be total
losses.
VPR's coverage of the effects of Tropical Storm Irene continues with a Saturday broadcast of Vermont Edition.
Six days after Tropical Storm Irene swept across Vermont, Governor Peter
Shumlin says there's still no estimate of the total cost of damage to
homeowners and businesses as the state seeks additional federal
assistance.
The state says at least 312 homes were destroyed or severely damaged by flooding earlier this week. The
damage estimate was part included in the state's request for a disaster
declaration that President Obama approved on Thursday.
As Vermonters try to recover and rebuild, therapists worry about escalating depression and anxiety.
Other than some down tree limbs and bent over cornstalks, most of Addison County made it through Tropical Storm Irene unscathed.
But in the mountainous eastern part of the county, it's a different story.
Many homeowners and businesses didn't have flood insurance and don't know yet if federal disaster assistance will be available.
In this week's Regional Report, VPR's John Dillon describes the logistical hurdles to covering the damage caused by flooding.
Governor Peter Shumlin addresses the damage from Tropical Storm Irene that he has seen around the state and outlines his plans for recovery.
The clean up effort in Waterbury is being fueled by a very active volunteer campaign. Several hundred homes and businesses were severely flooded during Tropical Storm Irene, and some may have to be destroyed.
President Obama has approved emergency assistance for most of Vermont to begin the recovery from Tropical Storm Irene's floods.
We hear from state officials and VPR reporters with updates on how the hardest hit towns are faring as Vermont Edition broadcasts live again this evening.
Congressman Peter Welch is one of the guests who will discuss the ravages of the storm and how Vermont will recover in this ongoing special coverage from Vermont Edition.
VPR's Susan Keese says her own personal piece of heaven in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene came in the form of a hot shower and a potluck supper.
Commentator Deborah Luskin is among those finding it hard to get
around in Post-Irene Southern Vermont. She certainly can't get to a
broadcast studio to record. So, amid the distant sounds of storm
recovery, she managed to record her impressions of the storm's aftermath
in a nearby neighbor's house.
Besides losing power and in some cases water Vermonters have had a hard time getting around. About 65 roads are closed and dozens of bridges are out, leaving some people stuck at home.
Historian Nicholas Clifford says the devastation of Irene may not quite equal its 1927 counterpart, but it does merit comparison:
A gentle downtown Rochester brook swelled into a torrent and ripped through Woodlawn Cemetery, unearthing about 25 caskets and strewing their remains throughout downtown. Many of the graves were about 30 years old, and none of the burials was recent.
A number of Vermont communities were cut off from the rest of the state in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene. At this point, all have been reconnected to the outside world to varying degrees. VPR's Steve Zind has this look at how one of those towns dealt with the challenge of going it alone in the immediate aftermath of the flooding.
More: Irene Floods Rip Open Cemetery In Rochester
Getting from East to West, and
vice-versa, in Southern
Vermont has been nearly
impossible since Irene came through on Sunday. But transportation officials are beginning to focus on re-establishing a route across the state.
About half of the residents in the town of Killington are still without power and water. But because
the town is accessible, Killington is serving as a hub for funneling emergency supplies to the 3,500
people in the surrounding towns.
As recovery efforts continue
in flood-ravaged areas of Vermont,
concerns are rising about some of the state's most vulnerable residents.
When 2,000 state employees lost their Waterbury office
space due to flooding, there was concern that Vermonters who receive 3SquaresVT and other state benefits would not receive their checks as scheduled.
Road crews have been working to get access to about a dozen
communities cut off by destroyed bridges and roads. But
the makeshift roads are quite limited, and for emergency access only.The Agency of Transportation says the next step is to make those roads passable for regular travel.
Vermont residents are boiling water, intake systems are being repaired and Rutland faces a looming water shortage in the days after Tropical Storm Irene hit Vermont.
As more roads open for travel, and word gets out about what's needed around the state, Vermonters are pitching in to help their neighbors.
A number of businesses in Northfield were hit hard by Sunday's flooding. But as VPR's Bob Kinzel reports, several of the companies have been able to stay open for business with the help of their employees, their friends and their families.
Vermont Edition provides continuing coverage of the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene.
This
morning, a National Guard Humvee traveled over washed out roads to Wardsboro, a small
village where residents lack food, water and electricity.
FEMA administrator Craig Fugate toured the state by helicopter on Tuesday with Governor Peter Shumlin and other officials to asses damage in Vermont From Tropical Storm Irene.
A Springfield official says the North Springfield Lake and flood control dam did the job it was designed to do, catching and containing the deluge from Tropical Storm Irene.
The town of Weathersfield, Vermont has not escaped the damage due to Tropical Storm Irene.
All but one of the
state's communities left isolated by flooding have been reached by ground
crews. Crews
hope to reach the last community, Wardsboro, this morning.
Wilmington is already picking up after the devastating floods of Tropical Storm Irene wiped out the Deerfield Valley town.
A National Guard convoy has brought some relief to Wilmington residents, who've been isolated since Sunday when the storm devastated the village center and destroyed roads and bridges.
Vermont Edition continues to focus on the state's recovery from Tropical Storm Irene.
One
of the biggest challenges facing state transportation officials is repairing
the dozens of state bridges that have been severely damaged by Hurricane Irene. Two bridges in the Mad River Valley pose very different challenges to transportation
crews.
Crews worked through the night on Route Four in Mendon to rebuild the road so emergency crews to get into towns near Killington.
As the clean-up from Irene gets underway in earnest, many local officials are pleading with the public to keep away from damaged and closed roads.
Rutland officials say the inlet structure at the Mendon Brook has been destroyed, so it's unable to draw fresh water into the reservoir.
13 Vermont communities remain cut off from the outside world two days after the remnants of Tropical Storm Irene dropped more than 10 inches of rain on parts of the state.
Vermont Emergency Management has begun to distribute supplies sent by FEMA for communities affected by Tropical Storm Irene.
VT Emergency Management says 13 towns are isolated as a result of damage from Hurricane Irene.
Vermont Edition's continuing coverage of the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene continues with a live evening broadcast.
Vermont Edition continues to provide updates on the devastation wrought by Tropical Storm Irene with updates on road closures, health concerns and towns that have been isolated due to the storm.
Part of a ski lodge has collapsed at Killington
resort and about 400 people are stranded at hotels and condominiums at the ski
area because of road damage from Tropical Storm Irene.
Almost every town in Windham and Bennington counties have
similar stories of isolation and damage. This morning,
we turn to Grafton. Town Emergency Operations director Bill Kearns says there
are 50 miles of road in town and yesterday 40 miles were closed.
Among the damaged roads and
bridges in Vermont are several of the state's iconic covered bridges. Many are tourist attractions that have
withstood the test of time, but not Irene.
The old Vermont saying that ‘You can't get there from here' has taken on new meaning in the aftermath of tropical storm Irene. Washed-out roads, downed power lines and debris have l