The state of Vermont may file an appeal after the Trump administration rejected a request for a federal disaster declaration back in October.The request was made following severe flooding in the Northeast Kingdom on July 10, 2025. It would have granted federal funding to repair public infrastructure. Vermont recorded more than $1 million in damage in the town of Sutton alone and nearly $2 million across the state. The minimum threshold to qualify for federal aid was $1.2 million.On Thursday, Gov. Phil Scott and Chief Recovery Officer Douglas Farnham told NBC5 that a recent estimate revealed that one of the state’s bridges suffered more damage than previously thought. It means that the damage estimate across Vermont could actually be higher than the amount that was documented back in August, when the original request was submitted. Scott has previously said that the state did not plan to appeal the decision from the Trump administration, but that could change with the new estimate. It’s not clear yet when the appeal would be filed. Appeals must be filed with the Federal Emergency Management Agency within 30 days of the denial letter, which gives Vermont until Nov. 21 to file.
The state of Vermont may file an appeal after the Trump administration rejected a request for a federal disaster declaration back in October.
The request was made following severe flooding in the Northeast Kingdom on July 10, 2025. It would have granted federal funding to repair public infrastructure. Vermont recorded more than $1 million in damage in the town of Sutton alone and nearly $2 million across the state. The minimum threshold to qualify for federal aid was $1.2 million.
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On Thursday, Gov. Phil Scott and Chief Recovery Officer Douglas Farnham told NBC5 that a recent estimate revealed that one of the state’s bridges suffered more damage than previously thought. It means that the damage estimate across Vermont could actually be higher than the amount that was documented back in August, when the original request was submitted.
Scott has previously said that the state did not plan to appeal the decision from the Trump administration, but that could change with the new estimate. It’s not clear yet when the appeal would be filed. Appeals must be filed with the Federal Emergency Management Agency within 30 days of the denial letter, which gives Vermont until Nov. 21 to file.
