Vermont to receive $20 million for flood repairs across 39 communities

Sen. Peter Welch said Tuesday that $20 million in federal disaster recovery money has reached the Vermont Agency of Transportation, covering repairs in 39 communities across 11 counties. The funds come through the Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration and will go toward roads, bridges, culverts and other transportation infrastructure damaged in severe flooding in July 2023 and July 2024.

The money reaches VTrans as towns across the state continue to work through damage from those two summers of high water. Property losses were also recorded in the affected areas.

"This $20 million in federal funding will help Vermont restore vital transportation infrastructure, but there's still much work to be done," Welch said. He said he would keep pressing for the balance of what he called long-awaited funding.

Vermont Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn said the Emergency Relief money would repair bridges, culverts, embankments and roads. "These projects will restore important bridges, culverts, embankments, and roads to improve safety and help keep Vermonters connected to the communities and services that they rely on every day," Flynn said.

The communities on the list include Ripton in Addison County; Barnet, Hardwick, Lyndon and St. Johnsbury in Caledonia County; Richmond in Chittenden County; Brighton in Essex County; Stowe and Wolcott in Lamoille County; Brookfield, Chelsea, Topsham, Tunbridge, Vershire, Washington and Williamstown in Orange County; Barton and Morgan in Orleans County; Mt. Holly in Rutland County; Barre Town, Berlin, Middlesex, Moretown, Northfield, Plainfield, Woodbury and Worcester in Washington County; Jamaica, Londonderry and Wardsboro in Windham County; and Andover, Bridgewater, Cavendish, Chester, Ludlow, Plymouth, Reading, Royalton and Weston in Windsor County.

Welch has also introduced two bills since the floods. The Disaster Assistance Improvement and Decentralization Act would speed delivery of disaster aid and provide technical assistance to small towns, and block the White House from withholding disaster response funds. The Rural Recovery Act would create a program within USDA Rural Development giving state offices automatic funding for emergency recovery technical assistance after disasters in their jurisdictions.