As State's Irene Repair Costs Drop, Human Toll Still Unknown

AP/Toby Talbot

This file photo shows Tropical Storm Irene damage on Route 4 in Killington. State officials reported this week that Vermont's share of cleanup costs from Irene is shrinking.

(Host) The cost estimate to repair damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene continues to go down. But the long-term toll of the storm on people's lives and businesses has yet to be calculated. That's the word from Neale Lunderville, the state's Irene recovery officer, who leaves his temporary post at the end of the month.

VPR's John Dillon has more.

(Dillon) A former Transportation and Administration Secretary under Republican Governor Jim Douglas, Lunderville is well-versed in the mechanics of state government. He returned to work for Democrat Peter Shumlin after the August storm ripped up roads and bridges and destroyed property statewide.

As he prepares to leave at the end of the month, Lunderville has some good news to deliver. According to the latest estimates, the storm will cost the state between $88 and $99.4 million to fix roads and bridges.

That's well below earlier projections and the reason is that Congress decided to provide more federal disaster aid. But Lunderville says the final tally may still change.

(Lunderville) "At this point it's important to remember that these are all still estimates. As we come to winter months and that leads to spring, we're going to continue to find hidden damage from Irene that could change these estimates. It will take a few more months until we have a sense of what the near final is."

(Dillon) Lunderville says the human cost of Irene is harder to calculate and may not be known for years.

(Lunderville) "It's important that as a state we don't forget that Irene really devastated thousands of Vermont lives and families. And the need for recovery over the long term is going to be there. We have to remember that in communities all across Vermont there are families and businesses still struggling to get on their feet; that recovery is going to take months or even years. And we all have an obligation as Vermonters to help our neighbors in need on this."

(Dillon) Private non-profit groups and community organizations have raised more than $7 million to help individuals and businesses. Lunderville goes back to his job at Green Mountain Power at the end of the month. But he expects to still be involved as a volunteer in Irene recovery efforts.

For VPR News, I'm John Dillon in Montpelier.