Gov. Phil Scott on Friday appealed President Donald Trump’s denial of a federal disaster declaration for a July storm that caused severe flooding in the Northeast Kingdom.
A disaster declaration would unlock federal funds to help Caledonia and Essex counties repair infrastructure damage caused by the storm. The July 10 rain and floods washed out roads and bridges and caused more than $1 million of damage in the small, rural town of Sutton, the governor’s office said in a press release.
Federal assessors found more than $1.8 million in damages from the storm, which exceeds the minimum threshold for a public assistance disaster declaration, the governor’s office said.
Trump denied Vermont’s request for a disaster declaration in October.
The governor’s office said that its appeal focused on the cost of infrastructure repairs which, under federal requirements, is “an aggravating factor that should be considered” and points to the economic effect of repeated flooding on the towns in recent years.
“After submitting our disaster declaration request, we learned about more damage that wasn’t included in our initial submission,” Scott said in a written statement. “This information significantly increases [the] financial burden for repairs which we believe strengthens our appeal.”
A federal disaster declaration allows municipalities to get reimbursed for 75% of the costs for infrastructure repairs, like debris removal, road repair and staff overtime responding to and cleaning up the storm.
The appeal will go to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which will review it and send it to Trump for his approval or denial.
