Help for Properties Impacted by Hurricane Irene

It's obvious that Vermont has been extremely hard-hit by Hurricane Irene. While the winds have been minimal, torrential rains flooded brooks and rivers taking out hundreds of roads, bridges and buildings all throughout Vermont. Our hearts go out to the families of individuals lost or injured, and to all the people of Vermont whose beloved places have been damaged.

As a start, we've listed below sites for getting up-to-date information about the current condition of Vermont, a checklist of things to do as the flood waters recede, and resources that can help you in cleaning-up and rebuilding.

If you have damage to your property, it is very important that you report it to the state. Please note that it is critical to acquiring recovery aid that a statewide inventory of damage is taken. Instructions for how to do this are below.

The Preservation Trust also offers matching grants up to $500 for Emergency Conditions and Engineering Assessments for non-profit, municipally-owned and commercial historic buildings throughout the state. These grants are made possible by in part by the National Trust for Historic Preservation through the Daniel K. Thorne Intervention Fund. If you would like to apply, please contact one of our staff below:

Paul Bruhn
802-658-6647
paul@ptvermont.org

Ann Cousins
802-343-8180
ann@ptvermont.org

Eric Gilbertson
802-272-8543
eric@ptvermont.org

Meg Campbell
802-442-4915
meg@ptvermont.org

We very much would like to learn about the damage to historic buildings around the state, in particular those buildings that we have helped with grant funding or technical assistance over the years. Please feel free to email us updates, or post a photo to PTV's Facebook page.


August 30th, 2011 Status of FEMA efforts:
The President has made an Emergency Declaration for Vermont. This type of declaration allows Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to immediately assist with shelters, National Guard, emergency repairs, etc. FEMA is gearing up to do Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) in each of the 14 counties. The Goal of this phase is to document sufficient damage to get a Major Disaster Declaration from the President.


If you want information on road conditions, call 511:
“511” provides Vermonters and visitors to the state with information on state road closures. The Agency of Transportation is working 24/7 to update the information as fast as possible. AOT is working on a system to report local roads as well. Go to http://www.511vt.com for additional information. Also check Googlemaps here: http://crisislanding.appspot.com/?crisis=2011_flooding_vermont


If you are an individual and need immediate help, call 211:
“211” is the resource to help individuals access services now and to register information on individual property damage. (For more information, go to: http://www.vermont211.org/).


If you are a business (for-profit; non-profit; multi-family housing provider, etc.) call 802-828-3211:
If you are a business looking to report damage to your business or would like to speak to someone about additional resources available, please call 802-828-3211. The ACCD has set up a system to document damage to businesses and properties (both for and non-profit businesses, including multi-family housing providers and services) in order to assist FEMA in their collection of information.


Communities are reporting storm damage for inclusion in the preliminary damage assessment:
Communities also need to report damages and that information goes to the Vermont Emergency Management. The link to their site for communities to input information is at http://vem.vermont.gov/home/damage_report and filling out the survey on the site. The Regional Planning Commissions are also helping with emergency management for towns in their region. For contact information for an RPC in your town, go to http://www.vapda.org/.

Farms: To report damages to property including but not limited to barns, milking parlors, crops, fields, equipment, etc., call:

Organizations such as the Vermont Farm Bureau (802-434-5646) or NOFA Vermont (802-434-4122) can also be called. These organizations will send a summary of the information to the Agency of Agriculture which will forward it to VEM. Farmers experiencing loss of crops due to flooding should contact their crop insurance agent as well as the USDA Farm Service Agency (802-658-2803).

Emergency Flood Assistance Program for Businesses
This program, administered by VEDA, is up and running. It will provide $10 million of very low interest, no first year payment, loans to businesses which suffered losses due to flooding. Interested businesses should go to VEDA's website (http://www.veda.org/) for more information.

 


Documenting Impacts to Historic Properties:
ACCD is helping to document impacts to historic resources for various reasons - a) When FEMA teams begin to work in communities they will be aware ahead of time of damaged/destroyed historic properties and can focus on those; b) It will give the historic preservation community a better sense of the extent and location of major damage and where we can help best during the recovery phase; c) It will help us better plan education and training information and workshops during the recovery phase. Do not rush to demolish!


What You Can Do Now:
If your property has been damaged, take immediate corrective action - - if your roof is leaking, put a roof on your building; if your carpets are wet, get them dried. If your collections or museum facility has been damaged, put your Emergency Plan in Place NOW.

FEMA recommends that you:

  • Take lots of photos and document the damage
  • Keep all receipts
  • Document all volunteers who are helping out (you can use this for your cost share) - - Use a “Sign-in” book, with their name, time in, time out
  • Take action NOW to protect your property


NOTE: You may or may not be eligible for FEMA or other federal assistance but in case you are, the above information will be critical.

As the Floodwaters Recede -- A Checklist of Things to Do:
The following checklist will help you respond to flood damage in historic and older buildings. Read the steps through carefully and take time to plan. While it is tempting to wade right in with a shovel and mop, it is very important to develop a plan for cleanup and rehabilitation. Do not rush to demolish! Overly zealous cleanup efforts can result in historic materials being carted away, excessively rough cleaning methods, and the unnecessary loss of historic fabric. The best way to prevent additional damage to historic structures and materials during a time of duress is to use caution and plan ahead.

  • Follow all emergency rules, laws, and regulations
  • Turn off all utilities
  • Document building damage
  • Wear protective clothing
  • Stabilize any unstable structures with temporary bracing
  • Use caution when pumping basement water
  • Keep building properly ventilated
  • Clean everything that got wet with a disinfectant
  • Allow saturated materials to dry using natural ventilation
  • Check for foundation damage
  • Replace soil around foundation
  • Save historic materials if possible
  • Use caution when removing lead-based paint or any products containing asbestos
  • Clean and repair roof and roof drainage systems to protect building from future damage

Adapted from: INFORMATION, National Trust for Historic Preservation Booklet No. 82, 1993, Treatment of Flood-Damaged Older and Historic Buildings, and provided courtesy of the New Bern Historic Preservation Commission.

 

Additional Resources for Flood Damaged Properties

National Flood Insurance Program Mitigation and Historic Properties

National Trust for Historic Preservation Disaster Response Resources
http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/technical-assistance/disaster-recovery/

NTHP's Resources for Responding to Flooding
http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/technical-assistance/disaster-recovery/flood-response.html

NTHP's Response for Homeowners
http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/technical-assistance/disaster-recovery/homeowner-response.html

NTHP's Response for Local Governments
http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/technical-assistance/disaster-recovery/local-govt-response.html

NTHP's Response for Local Organizations and Main Streets
http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/technical-assistance/disaster-recovery/local-orgs-response.html

Managing Collections after a disaster
http://ncptt.nps.gov/2011/managing-collections-in-a-disaster/

How to Save Wet Books
http://www.heritagepreservation.org/savewetbooks/index.html

NCPTT Disaster Management and Mitigation Resources
http://ncptt.nps.gov/2011/disaster-planning-supplementary-disaster-management-and-mitigation-resources/

FEMA: Recovering and Coping with Flood Damaged Property
http://www.fema.gov/hazard/flood/coping.shtm

Tips for Drying out a Flood Damaged Building
http://www.hpo.ncdcr.gov/dryout.htm

 

Additional Storm Recovery Resources

Vermont Emergency Management Website:
This site includes the latest updates and helpful information: http://vem.vermont.gov.

Vermont Emergency Management Facebook Page:
The most up to date information for VEM can be found on their Facebook page. If you "like" VEM on Facebook you will be given automatic updates on your Facebook homepage as their status changes. Includes great links to press releases and other information. Find it at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vermont-Emergency-Management/142566220102

Returning to Your Home:
For information on cleaning up your home after flooding, visit http://vem.vermont.gov/home/return.

Fuel Tanks:
If you find a fuel tank on your property or floating in flood waters, please contact the Vermont Fuel Dealers Association at 802-223-7750 or info@vermontfuel.com.

Ride Share:
This site is designed for commuters to find car pools, but can be a valuable asset for individuals whose cars are damaged or destroyed: http://www.connectingcommuters.org/.

Volunteers Wanted or Needed:
If anyone offers volunteer services or needs volunteer assistance…
http://vtresponse.wordpress.com/