• Subscribe to VTAlert messages to get emergency alerts, important road information, and critical weather alerts delivered directly to you. Go to https://vem.vermont.gov/vtalertto sign up.
• Road closure information: visit www.newengland511.org
• See something, say something: If you see hazards emerging such as sinkholes, landslides, or new or unmarked sections of dangerous or eroded roads, please report them to 911.

Report damaged homes or businesses to Vermont 211 using this link or by calling 211. This is important for tracking statewide damage to report to FEMA to ensure that Vermonters get access to federal funding in recovery. You can make many reports online (often the fastest way) or by phone.

If you live in a FEMA Individual Assistance declared county and have been impacted by the flood, please report your damages to FEMA by either calling 1-800-621-FEMA, or online at www.disasterassistance.com.

Disaster Recovery Centers have representatives from federal and state agencies, FEMA in providing assistance. A current listing of Disaster Recovery Centers can be found here

Ensuring that you are safe is the most important part of cleanup. If you have contaminated water, fuels, oils, or other hazardous material, please call 1-800-641-5005 or 802-828-1138 before continuing.

The Agency of Natural Resources has numerous Flood Recovery Resources available on their web page at: Agency of Natural Resources Flood Assistance Resources

Learn more about Debris Disposal Guidance, including the 6-step process to follow, on the Vermont Emergency Management website: https://vem.vermont.gov/flood/debris

Help with cleanup – There are volunteers and volunteer organizations deployed and continuing to arrive throughout Vermont to assist. The cleanup process can take some time.

• Be sure the building is safe. If you need help assessing safety including structural safety, gas/propane/fuel oil issues, or electricity call your local fire department.
• Document the damage – take many photos and keep lists of what is damaged or destroyed including belongings and the building itself – and keep receipts.
• Basement water – If you have water in your basement or home removing it is the first task. Your local fire department or local contractors may be able to assist with dewatering.
• Mucking out waterlogged or damaged items (furniture and similar items), debris, mud, or building material or system (such as sheetrock, cabinets, water heaters, furnaces, etc.)

Information about flood cleanup can be found here:

• CDC Flood cleanup guidance
• How to Safely Pump Out Basements
• Returning to Your Home or Business and Cleaning Up
• Flooded Homes Cleanup Guidance

FEMA may be able to help with cleanup expenses. Take photos and keep receipts. See the FEMA section above for additional information.

Debris removal

Debris related to the flood, including mud, branches, furniture, personal items, etc. should be separated and deposited away from trees, poles and structures that make pickup difficult, within 10 feet of the road but NOT in the roadway. Items should be separated into 6 types – electronics, large appliances, hazardous waste, vegetation debris, household waste, and construction debris. Please follow guidance from your local government and emergency teams.

Information for municipal officials: Information for municipal officials: The State has contingency debris management/hauling and debris monitoring contracts which have been activated. If your community has an unmet need after exhausting or running out of local resources, call the SEOC and let us know what you need for debris management. If a community is doing its own debris management, it is required for FEMA reimbursement to have a town employee or separate contractor do “debris monitoring” -- have someone with a clipboard keeping track of where each load comes from and where it is going.

Emergency Shelter: Call 2-1-1 or you can locate shelter options by zip code by visiting the www.redcross.org/local/me-nh-vt/get-help.html or by texting SHELTER and your zip code (for example, “SHELTER 01234”) to 4FEMA (43362). For Spanish text REFUGIO and your zip code. Standard text message rates apply. You can also download the FEMA Mobile App to find open shelters.

FEMA may be able to assist with your temporary housing expenses. Please see the FEMA section under Damage and Disaster Relief below for additional temporary housing supports.

Cities, towns, and non-profit organizations such as the Red Cross in your area may have set up mass feeding locations. Additional resources include:

• Locate a food shelf: visit www.vtfoodbank.org/agency-locator or call 1-800-585-2265
• General Food Assistance (3 Squares): Apply here or call 1-800-479-6151
  • Households with income 185% or less of FPL, households with children who get the VT Earned Income Tax Credit.
  • Current 3 Squares Vermont recipients that experienced a loss, please call 1-800-479-6151.
• Families and Infants up to 5 years old (WIC):  visit healthvermont.gov/family/wic or call 802-863-7200
• You may be eligible:
  •  If you are a Vermont resident and are pregnant, have an infant up to 6 months old or you are breastfeeding/chestfeeding an infant up to 12 months old
  • Meet income guidelines OR participate in 3SquaresVT (SNAP), Medicaid, TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) or Families with Dependent Children program.
  • July WIC food benefits that were lost due to flooding can be replaced by contacting your local WIC office. Ready to Feed formula can also be issued to families with compromised access to water supply (town or well).
• Vermonters 60 and Older (Meals on Wheels): Call helpline at 1-800-642-5119
  • Any person age 60 or over and is unable to obtain or prepare meals on a temporary or permanent basis due to a physical, mental or cognitive condition.
• Vermonters under 60 with chronic conditions or disability (Meals on Wheels): visit vcil.org/services/meals-on-wheels/ or call (802) 224-1823.
  • Eligible applicants include individuals under 60 with chronic conditions or disability  
• Commodity Supplemental Food Program: contact the Vermont Foodbank 1-800-214-4648 or visit CSFP - Vermont Foodbank (vtfoodbank.org)
  • Eligible are adults over age 60 who are at or below 130% of the federal poverty level. 
  • Age and income are self-attestation.

Insurance Guidance  If you are insured via homeowner’s insurance and/or flood insurance, contacting your carrier is an important early step. The Department of Financial regulation has posted information to assist in navigating insurance claims. That information can be found here.

FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers and Business Recovery Centers Specialists are available to provide in-person information and answer your questions about FEMA’s disaster assistance programs, including the types of assistance available, the status of your application, and helping to resolve problems. Recovery experts from the U.S. Small Business Administration, state and nonprofit organizations may also be available to address your needs. Find a FEMA Recovery Center: FEMA.gov/Disaster/4720 You can also Apply for FEMA Assistance online or Apply/Check your status by phone 1-800-621-3362.

FEMA Individual Assistance Program  The Individual Assistance program allows homeowners, renters, and other individuals (but not businesses) impacted by the disaster to seek reimbursement for necessary expenses and serious needs that cannot be met through insurance or other forms of assistance. The declaration currently includes those living in Chittenden, Lamoille, Rutland, Washington, Windham, Windsor, Caledonia, Orange and Orleans counties.

FEMA reports, claims, and funds  This is a separate process from the 211 report because it is a claim filed with FEMA directly. Claims can be reported as soon as your county receives a federal disaster declaration. That declaration happens when FEMA receives enough information to enable that declaration to be made. The information below is a very short synopsis for reference only. To file a claim and for detailed information visit www.disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362.

FEMA teams will be going door to door in neighborhoods. They are doing damage assessments as well. Each member of the FEMA team will have a FEMA issued identification card.

• Home Repair or Replacement: Financial assistance for homeowners to repair uninsured home damage caused by the disaster. The assistance is intended to repair the home to a safe, sanitary, and functioning living condition.
  • If your primary residence is determined to be uninhabitable after a FEMA inspection.
  • Housing need not covered by insurance.
• Rental Assistance:Financial assistance to rent temporary housing while disaster-caused repairs are made to your primary residence, or while transitioning to permanent housing.
  • Home is unlivable as a result of the disaster.
  • Who agrees to relocate.
  • Whose housing needs are not covered by insurance.
• Lodging Expense Reimbursement: Financial assistance reimbursement for short-term lodging expenses
  • Primary home is destroyed or is unlivable as a result of major damage caused by the disaster.
  • No other practical temporary housing options available within a reasonable commuting distance due to a lack of available rental resources.
• Clean and Removal: Financial assistance for services to remove contaminants and disinfect surface areas of the home affected by floodwater.
• Moving and Storage Expenses: Financial assistance to temporarily move and store personal property from the damaged primary residence while repairs are made. Assistance may also be provided for moving essential household goods to a new primary residence.
• Disaster-related Medical and Dental Expenses: visit www.disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362
• Other funds for flood related expenses: visit for other uninsured or under-insured disaster-caused expenses and serious needs.

Other personal property damage  If you sustained damage or loss of to personal property, cars, or other items photograph them, make lists, and keep any replacement receipts. FEMA may have funding available. See the FEMA Individual Assistance section above for additional information.

Water and sewer damage  If your water and sewer service has been impacted your local provider will work to restore service. Additional information about handling water and sewer challenges is below.

• Boil Water and Do Not Drink Notices
• Guidance on Septic and Onsite Wastewater Systems after Flooding
• After a Flood: Drinking Water Guidance

SBA Services For Homeowners: The Small Business Administration offers loans to homeowners and renters to repair or replace disaster-damaged real estate and personal property, including automobiles. Ask about refinancing, mitigation, and using loan funds to cover relocation expenses. Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

• Unemployment: If you’ve lost your job due to the disaster – including because you no longer have a job or a place to work; cannot reach the place of work; cannot work due to damage to the place of work; or cannot work because of an injury caused by the disaster – you may be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. File online beginning Wednesday, July 19 at https://labor.vermont.gov/unemployment-insurance/initial-application or call the Unemployment Insurance Claimant Assistance Center at 877-214-3330.
• Disaster Unemployment Assistance: If you are not traditionally eligible for unemployment insurance benefits and your employment was impacted because of the disaster, you may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). The Department of Labor will issue additional DUA guidance the week of July 17 and individuals can sign up to receive DUA updates at https://labor.vermont.gov/dua.

• Vermont Childcare Helpline VT: 1-800-649-2642
• Energy Assistance: 1-800-775-0516
• Damage to an essential vehicle: visit www.disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362
• Disaster-related funeral and burial expenses: visit www.disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362
• Disaster-related child-care expenses: visit www.disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362
• Medicaid and Prescription Help: visit www.info.healthconnect.vermont.gov/find-local-help or call 855-899-9600
• American Red Cross: visit www.redcross.org/local/me-nh-vt/get-help.html or call 855-891-7325
• Disaster-related Medical and Dental Expenses: visit www.disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362
• Social Security Payments: If you are not receiving your Social Security payments, call the nearest SSA field office. Find an office here: Social Security Office Locator

• Physical Damage to Business: Loan of up to $2 million to qualified businesses or most private nonprofit organizations visit disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/ or call 1-800-659-2955
  • Eligibility: A business of any size or most private nonprofit organizations located in a declared disaster area and have incurred damage during the disaster
  • Resources may be used for the repair or replacement of the real property, machinery, equipment, fixtures, inventory, leasehold improvements
• Economic (non-physical) Damage Assistance: Eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and most private nonprofit organizations could receive additional support for non-physical damage. Visit disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/ or call 1-800-659-2955.

If you have sustained damage to your farm there are a number of ways to receive assistance including:

• VT Agency of Agriculture Farm Related Assistance: For more information visit https://agriculture.vermont.gov/flood or email agr.floodresponse@vermont.gov or call 802-828-5667.
• Farmer Emergency Fund: For more information visit www.nofavt.org/farmer-emergency-fund or call 802-434-4122.
• Emergency Loans: For more information visit www.vtfarmfund.org/emergency-loan or call 802-560-3099.
  • Qualifying applicants must be Vermont farmers or food producers who have suffered a devastating loss due to an unexpected natural disaster that puts their farm or farming career in danger and covers buildings; animals; equipment; greenhouses; and hay fields.
• USDA Disaster Assistance: visit https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/index or by calling (855) 794-3676. USDA covers damage to livestock; farmland; financial damage; and crop losses.
• The Association of Africans Living in Vermont can help new Vermonters with flood and farm recovery: Association of Africans Living In Vermont

Do you need to temporarily close your business and layoff your workforce? Here’s how to prepare your staff for unemployment:

• Employers do not need to contact the Department of Labor when laying off employees.
• Advise employees to contact the Department of Labor’s Unemployment Insurance Claims Center at 877-214-3330 (Mon-Fri from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) Additionally, if individuals are unable to reach the Department by phone, they will be able to file for unemployment insurance benefits online beginning Wednesday, July 19 at https://labor.vermont.gov.
• There is no work search requirement for employees who are temporarily laid off for 10 weeks or less. Individuals filing for benefits will need to provide an estimated return to work date in order to have the work search requirement waived.

At this stage we recommend donations in the form of cash. Visit the Vermont Community Foundation or the Vermont Disaster Recovery Fund to do so.  For those interested in donating food or personal eitems we recommend contacting local officials and non-profits and donating only if they express or are publicizing a need. More information and links about donations can be found at the Buildings & General Services flood page or by calling 802-828-1525 or emailing donations@vermont.gov.

For corporate donations please email donations@vermont.gov and include the words CORPORATE DONATION in the subject line.

• VT Flood Response and Recovery Fund: visit VT Flood Response (vermontcf.org)
• United Way (there are local United Ways serving every region of the state): visit United Ways in Vermont | United Way Worldwide
• American Red Cross Northern New England Region : call (800) 464-6692 or visit American Red Cross | Help Those Affected by Disasters
• Vermont Food Bank: call 1-800-585-2265 or visit Donate Today (nokidhungry.org)
• Vermont Farm Fund: Center for an Agricultural Economy (hardwickagriculture.org)
• Purchase a “Vermont Strong” license plate online through the Department of Motor Vehicles: All proceeds will support victims of the flood. https://dmv.vermont.gov/vermontstrong23

Community Volunteers:
Volunteers are needed. Register at www.vermont.gov/volunteer so the team at SerVermont can match you with missions in communities around the State. Once registered, you may receive notice of volunteer missions in your area and you can respond with your availability for that mission to aid in coordination of assets. Please be patient. Connecting volunteers to missions can take some time as communities begin the recovery process. This effort is not intended to replace grass roots local volunteer efforts and non-residential efforts. We continue to encourage Vermonters to join local efforts as they arise. It is often most effective to volunteer with local organizations you are already affiliated with.

Voluntary Organizations & Coordination Efforts:
There are many organizations both within Vermont and those that operate nationally, active and inbound to assist communities. Please do not self-deploy. If you are a Volunteer Organization operating in Vermont on any mission including sheltering, feeding, bulk distribution of supplies, emotional & spiritual care, donations management, pets, or others, we ask that you make the State Emergency Operations Center Aware by emailing volunteer@vermont.gov so we can connect Vermonters to your services.

The State is using CrisisCleanup.org to manage residential cleanup and similar missions. The state emergency operations center is deploying a team that will take information from both 211 and FEMA damage reports and contact those who have reported damage to inquire about volunteer assistance they may need. The results of those calls will be entered into CrisisCleanup.org.

We encourage all organizations operating in Vermont to adopt work via that application to ensure the best possible coordination of resources. Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VODA) is also coordinating activities statewide and hosting a daily briefing call.

Municipal Volunteer Coordination: To assist with residential response and cleanup, we encourage municipalities to sign up for free CrisisCleanup.org access. There you can see details about damaged residential structures who have asked for help. There you can also see which volunteer organizations are active in your area as well as which missions have been adopted by organizations… and which remain in need. Municipalities can also use the app to deploy municipally based volunteers to assistance requests in the system.

Additionally, municipalities and local volunteer coordinators can request volunteers be activated in your area for a variety of missions by calling the SEOC volunteer coordinator (SerVermont) and emailing volunteer@vermont.gov.