Vermont Gov. Phil Scott and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg held a press briefing in Hardwick on Monday afternoon to discuss their assessment of flood damage to the state’s infrastructure. Secretary Buttigieg made his first stop at the Inn by the Water in Hardwick, where the motel is dangling over the Lamoille River after flooding destroyed it last week. The owners say they won’t rebuild unless they get assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.The second stop on the secretary’s tour was the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail in Hardwick, where a bridge split in half. “There’s no doubt in my mind these communities and this state will recover stronger than ever,” said Buttigieg during a press conference Monday. Several neighbors stopped by the Inn by the River during Secretary Buttigieg’s visit to speak to members of FEMA, including neighbor Robert Edebohls.“I’m not gonna be able to live there next winter if I don’t get help from FEMA because I’ve lost everything, and I don’t have anything to draw on right now,” said Edebohls. In the press conference, Gov. Scott and Secretary Buttigieg detailed how Vermont will put the federal relief money to good use.Secretary Buttigieg explained that Vermont’s request for federal relief funding is in two parts.The first is “quick relief funding,” which he describes as a way to get federal dollars out quickly to help with more immediate needs.The other is a “reimbursable method” for the long term. That will give the state some more time to make a better assessment of the exact needs of certain communities, such as Hardwick.Both Gov. Scott and Secretary Buttigieg also emphasized the need to work smarter too.Between last week’s flood and tropical storm Irene, Secretary Buttigieg said Vermont has seen two “once-in-a-century storms” in the span of 12 years.The concern is climate change could make these types of storms more common.”We can’t go into the future requiring communities to put everything exactly the way it was if a ‘100-year flood’ is going to be an annual event,” said Buttigieg.Secretary Buttigieg said one way they’re looking to help improve things for the long-term is through their newly created infrastructure program called the the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Grant program. This is designed to make states’ highways, transit ports, and railways “more resilient to extreme weather.”Secretary Buttigieg said that local governments, travel governments, and state departments of transportation should apply before the deadline on Aug. 18.
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg held a press briefing in Hardwick on Monday afternoon to discuss their assessment of flood damage to the state’s infrastructure.
Secretary Buttigieg made his first stop at the Inn by the Water in Hardwick, where the motel is dangling over the Lamoille River after flooding destroyed it last week. The owners say they won’t rebuild unless they get assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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The second stop on the secretary’s tour was the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail in Hardwick, where a bridge split in half.
“There’s no doubt in my mind these communities and this state will recover stronger than ever,” said Buttigieg during a press conference Monday.
Several neighbors stopped by the Inn by the River during Secretary Buttigieg’s visit to speak to members of FEMA, including neighbor Robert Edebohls.
“I’m not gonna be able to live there next winter if I don’t get help from FEMA because I’ve lost everything, and I don’t have anything to draw on right now,” said Edebohls.
In the press conference, Gov. Scott and Secretary Buttigieg detailed how Vermont will put the federal relief money to good use.
Secretary Buttigieg explained that Vermont’s request for federal relief funding is in two parts.
The first is “quick relief funding,” which he describes as a way to get federal dollars out quickly to help with more immediate needs.
The other is a “reimbursable method” for the long term. That will give the state some more time to make a better assessment of the exact needs of certain communities, such as Hardwick.
Both Gov. Scott and Secretary Buttigieg also emphasized the need to work smarter too.
Between last week’s flood and tropical storm Irene, Secretary Buttigieg said Vermont has seen two “once-in-a-century storms” in the span of 12 years.
The concern is climate change could make these types of storms more common.
“We can’t go into the future requiring communities to put everything exactly the way it was if a ‘100-year flood’ is going to be an annual event,” said Buttigieg.
Secretary Buttigieg said one way they’re looking to help improve things for the long-term is through their newly created infrastructure program called the the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Grant program.
This is designed to make states’ highways, transit ports, and railways “more resilient to extreme weather.”
Secretary Buttigieg said that local governments, travel governments, and state departments of transportation should apply before the deadline on Aug. 18.
