WVTK Local & State News September 1, 2011

In the wake of the destruction, flooding caused by Irene, The State of Vermont is encouraging people to report their damage to Vermont 211. To accommodate this, the state added extra 211 lines, which are going to be answered out of Burlington. The Governor's Office is asking for volunteers to staff these extra lines, and is looking for help immediately. People can either go to 128 Lakeside Avenue in Burlington, or call Ari (Air-ree) at 802-279-6825 for more information. Training will be provided, but help is needed ASAP.

Gov. Peter Shumlin will continue to tour parts of Vermont ravaged by Tropical Storm Irene. Shumlin will travel by helicopter on today, making stops in Mendon to see the road damage and repair work. He will go on to Cavendish, Chester, Wardsboro and Stratton, some of which have been cut off by road damage. A press conference will be held at 4:30PM to discuss the damage and any progress.

Officials say at least five Vermont schools are closed until further notice and about 120 have delayed opening for the school year because of roads or schools ravaged by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene. The Vermont Department of Education says the Bethel Elementary and Whitcomb High, Moretown Elementary, Rochester and Stockbridge Central schools are all closed until further notice. More than a hundred other schools postponed opening - some only a day or two this week and others up to seven days.

The state of Vermont will receive $5 million to help repair roads and bridges that were destroyed by flooding from Tropical Storm Irene. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders had been in constant communication with the U.S. Department of Transportation to explain the total devastation that swept through Vermont and the urgency to get money quickly.

President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in New York due to Hurricane Irene. Obama has ordered federal aid to help with local recovery efforts. The aid will be available for those in several counties, including Essex County. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs. Low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. To apply for assistance, call 1-800-621-FEMA.

Vermont Farmers were able to harvest some of their crop before Sunday but acres of farmland are still under water following Tropical Storm Irene. Chuck Ross, the Secretary of Agriculture, says crews are out surveying the damage, this week. Currently, he says, there is no way to estimate how far reaching that damage is since reports are still coming in at the department. Ross says he expects there to be federal assistance for farms but there's no telling how much. He is urging farmers to take photos of the damage and record their losses so that they can apply for assistance once it becomes available.

Aid has reached 1 of the last isolated towns in Vermont. A Vermont National Guard vehicle with water reached the village of Wardsboro Wednesday morning. Col. Lloyd Goodrow of the Vermont National Guard says a helicopter was being loaded Wednesday evening with food and other supplies to be flown into the small town in the southern Green Mountains, which has been isolated since flooding struck on Sunday. The Guard has been using trucks and choppers where necessary to get supplies to stranded residents. Wedding guests stranded in Pittsfield were able to get out to Killington in convoys Wednesday and hope to leave the state on today. Phone service also has been restored to that community.

To help community businesses, the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce established the Brand-Aid Fund. It will assist businesses trying to reopen as quickly as possible. The Chamber’s final summer concert on Friday in Brandon’s Central Park featuring Feral Grandmother has become a fundraiser. The concert starts at 6:30PM. To donate, visit www.brandon.org.

All Rutland city roads but Meadow Street were open Wednesday though two only to local traffic. Meanwhile, work continued on the city’s water system, which was disconnected from its primary source, Mendon Brook, during the flood. The city plans to use an emergency connection to East Creek as it assesses and repairs the damage at the main inlet. Work was also under way at Mendon Brook. The good news is the city will not be subject to a boil-water order if it connects to the emergency supply. The state did not consider East Creek a danger.

After serious damage at scores of locations from tropical storm flooding, Vermont Rail System has worked around the clock to fix tracks. The hybrid state and private statewide system has resumed some freight operations and expects to run the first Amtrak Ethan Allen train from Rutland this morning. In order to restore the line from Whitehall to Rutland, 19 washouts had to be restored.

All across the state the cleanup after Irene is in full force and will continue for a very long time. So many lost so much. But Vermonters are pitching in, bringing hope to those in need. Many towns are organizing volunteers. You can also call 211 and there are online efforts as well. You can donate $10 to the Vermont Foodbank to pay for food that will go to food banks in communities most impacted by Irene. Text the word FOODNOW to 52000 to make a $10 donation that will show up on your next cellphone bill.

Authorities are warning people to beware of scams. After disasters, criminals will prey on victims with phony offers of inspections, repairs, loans and other help. Scammers will also go after people who want to help the victims with fraudulent fundraising activities. Authorities suggest sticking to reputable businesses and organizations, and as always, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

State police are warning Vermonters about looters in areas hit by flooding. The warning came after troopers were called into Moretown late Tuesday night to investigate reports of two males rummaging through the things that had been left out to dry. Police are reminding people in flooded areas to be on the lookout for suspicious people or vehicles.

Similar to the flooding of August 2008, Route 125 from East Middlebury to Ripton experienced washouts in three locations as Tropical Storm Irene came through Addison County Sunday. Officials say it was not a serious as 2008. Most of the repairs made to local infrastructure following the 2008 flood, including the new Lower Plains Bridge in East Middlebury, stood up to Irene. The exceptions proved to be a small trunk of the Ripton Road and a washout on either side of the culvert near the town garage.

There are a lot of big organizations from the American Red Cross to FEMA that are helping Vermonters. But there is another group with a just few people and a website that's making a big difference. Three co-workers in Burlington are helping the response to a major disaster. Sarah Waterman helped launch the website VT Response Dot Com the day after Tropical Storm Irene hit Vermont. Just days later hundreds of Vermonters have posted messages looking for or offering help from housing to cleanup to food. Waterman says the site is based on her time six-years-ago volunteering in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.