Five months since Tropical Storm Irene chased Vermonters in the hardest hit areas from their homes-some with the floodwaters lapping at their legs-more than half of those evicted by the storm have yet to return home.

In the worst cases, there is no home to return to.

VPR's Mitch Wertlieb spoke with Sue Minter, Vermont's Irene Recovery Officer about the challenges the state faces in helping the most vulnerable, whose lives were thrown into chaos by Irene.

Minter has been keeping track of the number of homes damaged or lost to Irene's devastation: