Starting this Saturday in Barre City, Vermonters affected by the floods in early July can get in-person help applying for recovery money.
On Friday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced it would open a disaster recovery center in the basement of Barre City Auditorium. Open seven days a week, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., visitors can show up without an appointment to speak to a disaster recovery specialist, according to a press release.
The move comes after President Joe Biden approved Gov. Phil Scott’s request for a major disaster declaration from FEMA for seven Vermont counties last Tuesday, unlocking federal funds for survivors of the floods on July 10 and 11. Barre City, where the Stevens Branch river broke its banks, was one of the hardest-hit towns in the state.
This federal disaster declaration means that survivors can now apply to FEMA’s individual assistance program, which provides reimbursement for flood recovery expenses that insurance does not cover, including rental assistance, home repairs and home replacements. At a disaster recovery center, agency personnel can help survivors through the entire application process, including how to upload documents.
Help is available at the center for anyone affected by the flooding in the approved counties: Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Lamoille, Orleans and Washington.
FEMA operated a total of 13 such centers during a two-month period in the aftermath of the July 2023 floods, staffed by dozens of personnel, including one in the same location in Barre. Visiting a center is not the only way to apply, though. Survivors can also register through FEMA’s website, its mobile app, or by calling its helpline at 1-800-621-3362.
For those who want questions answered in person at the recovery center, FEMA will also have specialists and representatives from the U.S. Small Business Administration, which can provide low-interest disaster loans to survivors, according to the release.
Barre City Auditorium is located at 16 Auditorium Hill. Visitors are directed to use the side entrance. All disaster recovery centers are accessible to people with disabilities, according to the release, and are equipped with assistive technology equipment.
