Homeowners Should Call 211 to Report Damage

[Kathleen]

This press release will be going out to the public this afternoon:

Homeowners Should Call 211 to Report Damage

WATERBURY – Homeowners and renters in Vermont who suffered damage or losses in floods over the past few weeks should call 2-1-1 to report that damage.  2-1-1 will record all damage information and pass along to Vermont Emergency Management to assist in its efforts to receive a federal disaster declaration and financial help for homeowners.
VEM is currently working to estimate private property damage around Vermont to determine if the state may qualify for an Individual Assistance disaster declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.  2-1-1 is the central call point for all homeowners to report this damage.  Vermont has received NO disaster declaration for individual or public assistance as yet.

 The state of Vermont needs to show significant damage to private homes to qualify for an Individual Assistance declaration from the federal government.  It is imperative that all homeowners who have damages call 2-1-1 and make a report.  However, those homeowners should not expect any immediate relief or assistance when calling 2-1-1.If you need immediate emergency assistance call 9-1-1.

211 is a service of the United Way.

Mark Bosma
Public Information Officer
Vermont Emergency Management

[Chris Santee]

bump and thanks, Kathleen.

[Chris Santee]

Volunteer Help Available for Flood Cleanup

WATERBURY – In the coming weeks the Vermont chapter of the organization known as Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) will be fanning out to flooded areas to help homeowners in flood recovery. 

VOAD is a national organization whose purpose it is to assist homeowners after a disaster at no cost.  This assistance comes through trained and certified volunteers who not only provide labor to remove mud from any level of the home; remove and sort both regular and hazardous debris; remove effected sheet rock and insulation; but also lend expertise at mold and mildew reduction or elimination.

It is extremely important for property owners of flooded homes or buildings to understand the dangers of mold and mildew after a flood.  It will become hazardous unless dealt with by very specific methods. Homeowners many times believe mopping up and running a dehumidifier is all that is necessary and weeks later find the presence of mold and mildew. Help and information is available through VOAD organizations to do this safely and properly.  For more information on mildew remediation please visit http://www.cdc.gov/mold/.

VOAD has been working over the past few weeks gathering and assessing information in order to prioritize areas that have the greatest need.  If you have already called 2-1-1 to report damage, VOAD has your information so there is no need to report that damage again.  Priority will be given to those most in need as determined by VOAD.

Homeowners are being contacted by phone to follow up their calls to 211 for assistance. Appointments will be made with assessors who will come to the home and then assign work crews according to need.

For more information on VOAD please visit http://www.nvoad.org/

[Chris Santee]

from Eileen Dickinson
State Representative

Last Monday, I attended a meeting for municipal officials affected by the flooding of Lake Champlain.  St. Albans Town officials, representatives from the Regional Planning Office, VT Volunteer Organizations to Assist in Disasters (VTVOAD), the Vermont Red Cross, and the Deputy Director of Preparedness and Planning at Vermont Emergency Management all attended the meeting and gave reports on what to do and expect from the private groups and the federal government for help with the flooding repair and clean up.

Residents of St. Albans Town who need help with the flooding need to call 211 and the town offices as soon as possible. The Town has a website:  www.stalbanstown.com with a link for Flood Emergency which residents can go to for information on available help.  I will be also holding a Town Meeting for residents of the Town on Thursday, June 2nd at the Town Hall at 7pm.

FEMA teams are working around Vermont to assess both municipal and individual damage for federal disaster designation.  Also available to individuals is the private help from the VTVOAD groups.  These include the Southern Baptist Convention, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, the Red Cross, Salvation Army, the United Way, the United Church of Christ, Catholic Charities and others. 

They follow the Southern Baptist Convention’s protocols for helping with emergency removal and repair.  They will be sending people to the state to do assessments and triage of damage starting this week.  Unfortunately, at times like this, there are people who will take advantage of others.  It is important to note that all of these groups have ID badges and wear specific colored T shirts (yellow for the Baptists, blue for the Methodists) for easy identification.  They do not promote religious beliefs and they do not ask for money for their help.  These volunteers help with removal of sheetrock, wiring, insulation, help with pumping out water, taking away debris, etc. This help is free if the homeowners and individuals meet certain criteria.  The address for contacting these groups is: vtvoad@yahoo.com, and stetson@nvtredcross.org.  The website for Vermont Emergency Management at the Dept. of Public Safety is:  www.dps.state.vt.us and can also be reached at 802-347-0488.

If anyone has any further questions, please contact me at 802-524-3404 or at edickinson@leg.state.vt.us..  I look forward to seeing people at the Town Meeting on June 2nd.

Rep. Eileen “Lynn” Dickinson

St. Albans Town, Fairfield, Fletcher