Vermont’s congressional delegation celebrates release of $51 million in federal flood aid

Vermont’s congressional delegation on Wednesday welcomed the release of $51 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation to reimburse the state for repair costs from damages caused by flooding in 2023.

Authorized through the annual appropriations process for the nation’s Highway Trust Fund, the aid comes through the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program, according to a press release issued jointly by the offices of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sen. Peter Welch D-Vt., and Rep. Becca Balint D-Vt.

Just over $49 million of the relief funding is earmarked to reimburse Vermont for repairs resulting from catastrophic flooding that caused extensive infrastructural damage across the state in July 2023. The remaining money, meanwhile, is expected to help cover repair costs from another round of flooding that wreaked havoc in December of that same year.

“Devastating flooding has destroyed roads and highways across Vermont, and federal assistance is necessary to offset the extensive costs the State has incurred,” the three lawmakers said in a joint statement. “This federal funding is an important part of the long process of rebuilding more resiliently after flooding, and underscores the need for our colleagues in Congress to act quickly to pass critically important disaster aid funding,”

The $51 million comes in addition to several previous rounds of FHWA funding allocated to Vermont to help offset the costs of flood damage from 2023.

The state also received $10 million in initial quick-release emergency funding from the agency in August 2023 and another $37.7 million in emergency Federal Highway Administration funding in January 2024, just after the state endured another wave of flooding in December.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont’s congressional delegation celebrates release of $51 million in federal flood aid .