| REBUILDING AFTER THE DISASTER |
A message from FEMA :
Help for Privately-Owned Roads,
Driveways, and Bridges
If your privately-owned road, driveway, or bridge was damaged or destroyed by Vermont’s storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides in July 9-11, 2024, FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) may be able to provide financial assistance for replacement or repairs.
Individual Assistance
If you live in Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Lamoille, Orleans, or Washington counties, FEMA may provide funds to repair disaster-damaged privately-owned access roads, driveways, and bridges.
To qualify, you must be the owner and the home must serve as your primary residence at the time of the disaster. A FEMA inspection is needed to determine if repairs are necessary for a vehicle to access the property. In addition, you must meet at least one of the following conditions:
The road, driveway, or bridge is the only access to the property
No one can access the home due to damaged infrastructure
The safety of the occupants could be adversely affected because emergency service vehicles cannot reach the residence (this will only be considered if access was available before the
disaster)
When multiple households share a privately-owned access route, each household should apply separately so they can be considered for all forms of aid. Assistance for the route will be shared
among applicants, requiring additional coordination and documentation. Repair awards may vary and will not include improvements to the access route’s pre-disaster condition unless improvements are required by current government building codes or ordinances.
How To Apply for Individual Assistance
To apply, visit DisasterAssistance.gov, download the FEMA App or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use a relay service such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or
others, give FEMA your number for that service when you apply.
To apply in-person, visit a Disaster Recovery Center, where FEMA and SBA specialists can help you upload documents, answer questions and learn about available resources. Walk-ins are welcome centers are open in impacted counties across the state – for current locations and hours, visit
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A message from FEMA and the US Small Business Administration:
U.S. Small Business Administration Loans
SBA disaster loans may also be able to help. FEMA grants and SBA loans work together to repair damage and advance your recovery. Businesses of any size, some nonprofits – including associations – homeowners and renters may be eligible for a low-interest disaster loan to repair or replace uninsured private roads, driveways, or bridges and retaining walls. Homeowners who share private access roads, driveways, and bridges with other homeowners may also be eligible for SBA disaster loans. Agricultural property is not eligible for SBA’s program – but your home, personal property, and the access road to your home are eligible even if they’re on a farm.
You can also use SBA disaster loans to make property improvements your property that can eliminate future damage or can save lives. Approved disaster loans can be increased by up to 20% to make building upgrades or improvements to mitigate future damage.
How to Apply for a Disaster Loan
For more information about the SBA, call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955
(dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services) or email DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov.
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| MESSAGES FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS AND GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS |
A message from Vermont State Senator Russ Ingalls:
"If you need help with your flooded house and property, Crisis Cleanup, can help with mucking out your basement; cutting fallen trees; drywall, flooring and appliance removal; tarping your roof; and mold mitigation. They work with volunteers who can help you. Call their hotline: 802-242-2954"
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If your home, business, or nonprofit organization suffered damage from the most recent flooding on July 10 & 11, please report it to 211. You can do that by calling 211 or reporting it online. Here are links to the business damage form (https://vermont211.org/business-form) and the residential damage form (https://vermont211.org/resident-form). To be clear, this is a data collection effort that provides the state with important intelligence to be able to respond to non-emergency. storm-related damages and allow us to keep track of cumulative damages needed when applying for federal disaster relief. When documenting your damage, please write it down what you find and take photos of it. This will not only be helpful for reporting to 211, but it will also be helpful to you if you decide to make an insurance claim. No damage is too small to report. It will all help the state of Vermont paint a picture of the devastation that will be used to apply for federal disaster relief. Please note: 211 is not for reporting emergencies. If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911.
Flooding is extremely traumatizing and for Vermonters who experienced losses in last summer’s floods, this event can be particularly difficult. Here is some advice from Vermont’s Mental Health Commissioner Emily Hawes:
- Stay informed, but limit news exposure. Take media breaks to protect your mental health.
- Rely only on trusted sources for information.
- Keep in regular contact with family and friends.
- Acknowledge your feelings. Anxiety, fear, and a sense of helplessness are natural.
- Prioritize self-care including getting enough rest.
If you need to talk to someone you can call access Starting Over Strong Vermont by calling 211. You can also call 988, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which will connect you to someone locally. https://mentalhealth.vermont.gov/sosvt
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A message from the Northeast Kingdom Human Services, Inc:
In times like these, we're reminded how crucial it is to come together as a community. The historic flooding has tragically, once again, affected our NEK communities, and NKHS would like to offer a helping hand, provide resources, or lend an ear. We are sharing a few resources that may help those in your communities dealing with the recent flood or who were impacted last year and are re-traumatized by these events. Please don't hesitate to contact us anytime if you have questions or want information on additional resources.
For those needing mental health support, Mobile Crisis of Vermont assists individuals who may be experiencing emotional, mental health, or substance use non-medical emergencies. This service meets the person where they are, assesses their individualized needs, provides a safety plan, and coordinates services to minimize the use of more restrictive services such as law enforcement and hospitalization. These intensive supports are for individuals and families experiencing or who may experience a psychological, behavioral, or emotional crisis. Call us now: 800-649-0118. Visit Mobile Crisis of Vermont for more information and to find an agency near you. https://gethelpvt.org/
Starting Over Strong VT is a program that helps people recover and rebuild their lives after a disaster. The program supports short-term interventions with the following counseling goals:
- Helping disaster survivors understand their current situation and reactions.
- Reducing stress and providing emotional support
- Assisting survivors in reviewing their disaster recovery options
- Promoting the use or development of coping strategies
- Connecting survivors with other people and agencies who can help them in their recovery process
For FREE confidential support in the NEK, contact our support staff at: Phone: 802-424-5368 email: Community_Support@nkhs.net Additional resources: Vermont 2-1-1, 866-652-4636 or 802-652-4636
The Kingdom United Resilience & Recovery Effort (KURRVE) is a collaboration of neighbor-to-neighbor networks, faith and business communities, and other local nonprofit organizations, with the mission to provide services to individuals and families affected by the July 2023 flooding in Caledonia and Orleans Counties and to strengthen Caledonia, Essex and Orleans Counties' regional response and recovery from any future crisis or disaster events, artificial or natural, through a coordinated community-driven and regional approach which provides for the immediate and long-term unmet needs of our Northeast Kingdom community members.
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| ROAD WAY UPDATES/CLOSURES |
Updates as of 07/12/2024 at 8:30 A.M.
Richard and Cunningham Logging and Excavation are continuing their work on Canaan Hill. Richard has been fixing the entry to the side roads, and work continues on filling the gullies with material and building the road back up.
Hall Stream has started to recede, so River Road and Hall Stream Road are passable again. Please use caution as the high water may have undermined the road.
The Canaan and Beecher Falls US Ports of Entry have opened again for travel.
We know several other gravel roads, including Judd, Penn, Breault, Hudson, etc, in Canaan have varying degrees of significant damage to them. They are on the todo list. Roads that have the most damage are getting priority, but all roads will be fixed in time.
For the time being please use caution on all of the roads through town, as underlying problems may arise as time goes on. If you see any damage to Town roads, feel free to call 802-266-3370 or email clerktreas@canaan-vt.org to report it.
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Updates as of 07/11/2024 at 8:28 A.M.
Hall Stream Road is Flooded at the end of the Intersection of River Road and Hall Stream Road.
Canaan Hill, Clay Brook, and Fund Road have significant damage. Please drive with caution, as contractors will soon begin preliminary work. Most other town gravel roads have damage on them so use caution throughout the Town.
Good Morning Everyone,
April and Richard have both been out all night, getting an idea of the damage to our infrastructure. We are still getting a grip on everything, and we know there are severe washouts on our roads. Richard has already contacted the State of Vermont. Once I am in the office today, which will open at 7:30 a.m., and have a chance to discuss this with Richard, I will give you all a better update.
Remember to not cross open water and report any washouts or other hazards as soon as you notice them.
Zachary William Brown
Town Clerk and Treasurer
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