State officials are urging Vermonters to report damage from this week’s massive flooding as federal emergency inspectors travel Vermont assessing the destruction.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, “is currently assessing storm damages,” state officials said in a message posted to the VT-Alert system Saturday night. “(If) your home or business has damage please report the damage and unmet needs to the Vermont 2-1-1 website vermont211.org.”
Vermonters who can’t access the website can call 866-652-4636 or 802-652-4636 and leave a message, they said.
The inspectors’ assessments will help determine which Vermont counties’ residents will qualify for direct “individual assistance” aid, according to a Friday night press release from Vermont Emergency Management officials.
Residents in six counties — Chittenden, Lamoille, Rutland, Washington, Windham and Windsor — have already been approved for such aid.
“ADDITIONAL COUNTIES WILL BE ADDED TO THE DECLARATION as the FEMA assessments continue,” officials wrote. “The counties above were declared after a cursory air assessment in accessible areas … to expedite the process. Once damage is verified by ground level inspections qualifying counties will be quickly added.”
The individual assistance program, made possible by a declaration from President Joe Biden on Friday, allows homeowners, renters and other people to apply for federal reimbursement for some flood-related expenses “and serious needs that cannot be met through insurance or other forms of assistance,” according to state officials.
People can apply online or by calling 800-621-3362. State officials said people who applied from counties that have not yet been approved would be denied, and they should reapply if their county is approved.
David Mace, a spokesperson for FEMA, said the agency had “disaster survivor assistance” teams in the field on Saturday. Such teams assess damage “and report critical and emerging disaster needs to FEMA leadership for decision-making purposes,” according to FEMA’s website.
“All FEMA personnel and contractors carry official identification,” according to the site.
In the VT-Alert message on Saturday night, state officials warned that reporting damage to 2-1-1 is not a guarantee of resources. They advised residents to “reach out to your insurance company as well.”
Business leaders warn of FEMA scams
Meanwhile, the Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation emailed its members on Saturday, warning that scammers are in Vermont impersonating FEMA personnel. The organization promoted FEMA’s guide to identifying and responding to scams.
The message, signed by the business group’s executive director, Melissa Bounty, warned of three types of scams that have been reported in the state thus far:
- “I work for FEMA”
- “FEMA will cover this damage for you”
- “Here is an unrequested donation”
She urged businesses to act immediately if they believe they may have been scammed.
In the “I work for FEMA” scam, the scammer impersonates a FEMA officer and gives or asks for information, according to the letter. But Bounty advised business owners that the only federal representatives they will work with on flood recovery are from the Small Business Administration — not FEMA, who will handle only housing and road claims.
“It is important to know that no FEMA officers will be handling business claims,” she wrote.
In the second scam — “FEMA will cover this damage for you” — Bounty warned that some out-of-state contractors “may be charging very high amounts” and claiming that FEMA will cover the costs, which may not be true.
“It’s your discretion to pay a higher fee than normal if it will help you hurry the process or find someone,” she wrote. “However, please be careful if you’re shown an extremely high quote for work and told that ‘it’s okay because FEMA will cover this.’ This is often part of a scam.”
She referred business owners to a guide, produced by the national nonprofit SBP, for assessing whether to work with a contractor.
Bounty called the third scam “tricky.” Several businesses had reported receiving “unrequested donations of $5,000” on Friday, she said, which could be revealed as a scam, especially if the senders ask for some of the money back.
“We are investigating this particular donation right now,” Bounty wrote. “In general, if you receive an unsolicited donation, it’s best to let your bank or financial institution know the situation so they can advise the validity of the check. If someone gives you a check but then asks for part of the money back the next day, or for other information or help from you, take care because there is a chance the check may bounce after you have paid them.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story mentioned a deadline to apply for individual assistance and a cap on the amount of reimbursement. According to FEMA spokesperson Shirley “Jann” Tracey, there is no immediate deadline to apply. She said assistance “varies on a case-by-case situation and applicable programs vary.”
