The Federal Emergency Management Agency is set to release more than $20 million in funding to support the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the City of Montpelier to repair damage from severe flooding in 2023.
FEMA has slated $11.78 million to the City of Montpelier for repairs to some of its municipal buildings, including severe damage to the capital’s City Hall, fire department, the fire station’s ramp and sidewalk, and police department buildings, according to the announcement.
One impact of the stalled FEMA funds was delaying the replacement of the elevator in the Montpelier City Hall complex, which has been out of commission since the July 2023 flood. Montpellier residents have raised concerns about accessibility for those with limited mobility for years, especially in accessing shows at the Lost Nation Theater located in the city hall building.
The funding was announced Wednesday in a joint announcement from Vermont’s congressional delegation.
“The 2023 floods were brutal, causing long-lasting damage for Vermonters and Vermont communities. This newly released federal funding, totaling more than $20 million, will help repair Montpelier’s hard-hit municipal buildings and state rail and trail infrastructure,” the announcement said.
FEMA is also set to allocate $6.2 million to the Vermont Agency of Transportation to repair a culvert on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail that was washed away by floodwater in 2023. Another $2.9 million will go toward rebuilding railroad ballast and associated embankments along railroad tracks in Washington County, according to the announcement.
FEMA funding for many 2023 flood recovery projects had stalled until recently, in part due to an order from then-U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that imposed extra scrutiny for FEMA aid requests above $100,000. The New York Times reported earlier this year that Noem, under that policy, had held up about $17 billion in disaster assistance.
But after Trump ousted Noem in March, her replacement, Markwayne Mullin, rescinded that policy.
In April, FEMA announced funding for state agencies as well as the town of Royalton to cover the costs of infrastructure damage sustained during the catastrophic flooding in 2023. It did not include FEMA assistance to individuals affected by the disaster.
“Much of this funding was delayed by FEMA for years — it never should have taken so long to get to Montpelier, and is a glaring example of how this agency needs reform,” said the delegation’s statement. “We will continue to fight for the FEMA funding our state needs, and will work with new leadership at the agency to deliver the assistance Vermonters need to fully rebuild and recover.”
The day before the announcement, U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., criticized a Trump-appointed review board’s recommendations to slash FEMA funding.
“The panel’s recommendations come at a time when the Trump Administration is making communities wait longer than ever to receive the resources they need to rebuild. These changes would only make recovery more painful for those across the nation,” wrote Welch.
