The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded more than $22 million in aid to Vermonters affected by the July floods.
That aid, available through the agency’s Individuals and Households Program, covers rental costs, repair expenses and some personal property and other losses experienced in nine eligible counties during the flooding.
FEMA data shows that 6,040 Vermonters have applied for the program and 3,414 have so far been found eligible for some sort of aid, with some others receiving flood insurance premium payments or Small Business Administration loans.
More than a third of applicants came from Washington County, which also had the most applicants per capita and the most aid awarded, nearly $8.8 million.
The ZIP code 05641, which includes portions of Berlin and Barre, had the most applications for individual aid in the state. Town-by-town data is limited because the agency did not standardize its town names.
By mid-October, the Small Business Administration had awarded more than $23 million in loans to Vermonters eligible for aid — which includes homeowners, renters, businesses and landlords.
Both FEMA and SBA have set Oct. 31 as the deadline to apply for individual aid or disaster loans. FEMA has extended the application deadline for the July floods three times now, but as of Oct. 25, there was no indication that it planned to do so again.
Vermonters from nine counties are eligible for FEMA individual aid: Caledonia, Chittenden, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham and Windsor.
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden declared August flooding in Addison County a separate federal disaster, but county residents are not eligible for individual aid at this point. They are, however, eligible for SBA loans for July-specific damage under a separate rural area disaster declaration.
Vermonters seeking FEMA aid can apply online, by phone or via its mobile app, but FEMA has closed several Disaster Recovery Centers, where people could apply in person, in recent weeks. One location has remained open on the Barre Auditorium’s third floor.
More details about what expenses are eligible, the application process and appealing FEMA decisions are available here. Information about SBA loans is available here.
