ALERT:   VEM EMD INFORMATION

Date:

5/5/11

 

Contact:

Mark Bosma, Public Information Officer

Vermont Emergency Management

(800) 347-0488

Time:

2:30 p.m.

 Route 2 and Route 78 Information

WATERBURY –Grand Isle County is currently accessible, but access could become difficult due to high water. Travelers should pursue alternate routes if possible.   

Route 2 from Milton to South Hero currently has water over the road and the Vermont Agency of Transportation is marshalling resources to install barriers and fill to raise the road and keep water off travel lanes.  Travel may be down to one lane at times to accommodate truck movements for the road improvement operations. 

Travelers on Route 78 between Swanton to Alburgh should also proceed with caution.  Water from Lake Champlain is approaching the road and could overtake the travel lanes at any time.  This road also has no guardrail and has a steep embankment on one side of the road.  Vtrans is addressing this area with additional reflective posts and armoring the west side of the road to protect the travel lanes from high water. 

Both of these roads are being closely watched by VTrans staff and law enforcement and will be closed if necessary. Notification will precede any road closure.

 For all road closures and travel information, please visit  www.511vt.com  (updated throughout the day between 7am – 6pm).

 

FLOOD RECOVERY - WHAT COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS SHOULD BE DOING NOW

 

The following is an excerpt from the Vermont Emergency Management website (link shown below):  Flood Recovery - What Communities and Individuals Should be Doing Now

 

Aid to individuals, private homeowners, business owners, renters, and others is more difficult to come by and Vermont has not qualified for so-called "Individual Assistance" since 1998. However, several state agencies and the office of Governor Peter Shumlin are exploring all avenues to provide relief.

 

The most likely avenue could be Small Business Administration loans (  http://www.sba.gov/taxonomy/term/99 ). These funds are advertised as below-market interest rate loans used to help individuals recover. They would be made available to homeowners, business owners, some non-profits, and renters to recoup uninsured flood losses.

 

What homeowners and individuals should be doing now:

1.     Ensure your home is safe to return to by having your electrical and heating systems inspected by qualified professionals.

2.     Begin cleanup right away. Delay in cleaning up can cause things like mildew to spread and make cleanup more difficult.

3.     Contact your insurance company.

4.     Keep close records of how much it costs to clean your home and how much of your property has been lost.

5.     REPORT ALL DAMAGES/LOSSES AND RECOVERY COSTS TO YOUR CITY OR TOWN. Your community representative will work with the state to see if your recovery costs qualify for assistance.

 

Helpful links:

 

Vermont Emergency Management: http://vem.vermont..gov/press/4.29.11_recovery

 

Road closures:  http://www.511vt.com