Today is the year anniversary of Topical Storm Irene that hit my beautiful state of Vermont. I didn't get many photos of the damage right after but I got a few:

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/CatwomanofV/045.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/CatwomanofV/052.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/CatwomanofV/056.jpg


This was one of the raging rivers (very close to the houses in the above pics):

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/CatwomanofV/030.jpg


Here is some info:

Irene by the Numbers

As of June 30, 2012

Communities that were isolated: 13

Number of homes that were damaged statewide: 3,500

Number of miles of state roads damaged: 500

Number of bridges closed: 34

Miles of railway made impassable by Irene: 200

Number of people who died in Vermont as a result of Tropical Storm Irene: 6

Number of state employees who were displaced: 1,500

Of Vermont’s 251 towns, number impacted by Irene: 225

Number of towns considered to be “hard-hit”: 54

Local bridges and roads currently awaiting repair: 30

Percentage of the 3,500 damaged town-owned roads, bridges and culverts that have been re-opened: 99

FEMA grants distributed to families and individuals distributed: $22.7 million

Households awarded the maximum grant of $30,200: 220

Additional FEMA assistance granted to 86 mobile homeowners after the state was given the authority to declare them condemned: $1 million

Estimated amount of private donations to the Vermont Community Foundation from a variety of locally based Irene relief efforts: $11 million

Long Term Recovery Committees set up in the most heavily impacted areas: 9

FEMA applicants with unmet needs: 1,638

Unmet FEMA needs in Windsor County alone, the most of all the counties: $2,198,662

Vermont Strong plates sold to benefit the Vermont Disaster Relief Fund: 14,300

Funds raised from license plate sales: $160,000

Additional plates shipped to retailers around the state: 11,900

Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funds secured by the state from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: $21.7 million

Percentage of the funding that must be used in Windsor and Washington counties: 80

Affordable rental apartment buildings flooded in Brattleboro, leading to the displacement of elderly and disabled tenants: 6

Cost estimated by the Brattleboro Housing Authority to redevelop: $15 million

Real Property Verified Losses recorded by the FEMA Individuals and Households Program, representing just over 1,000 homes and businesses: $25.5 million

Increase in downtown tax credits passed by the Legislature for eligible small businesses and rental properties: $500,000

Average loan to businesses of the 294 granted by the Vermont Economic Development Authority: $56,297

Total amount of VEDA loans: $16,551,357

Small Business Administration loans approved to 140 businesses: $17.4 million

SBA loans approved by late March to businesses and individuals combined: $33 million

Funds accelerated by the State Treasurer’s Office to cash-strapped towns and schools: $155 million

Towns developing project worksheets for FEMA to rebuild damaged roads, bridges and culverts: 200

Percentage of the 2,231 completed project worksheets that include infrastructure upgrades or improvements: 23

Increase in funding in the Town Highway Structures program, provided by the passage of the Transportation Bill: $500,000

Percent reduction in the amount towns are responsible for to repair highways under the Federal Highway Emergency Relief program, another feature of the Transportation Bill: 10

Percentage state will now contribute under the amended program: 10

Initial amount allocated by the Legislature to restore and renovate Waterbury’s State Office Complex: $12 million

Stream banks and channels in need of work from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service’s Emergency Watershed Protection program: 152

Sites the EWP identified as urgent: 51

Of those urgent sites, number where work has been completed: 35

Agricultural producers reporting damage to the USDA: 463

Estimated acres of land damaged, including lost crops and infrastructure, land washed away and wind damage to maple sugar woods: 9,348

Farmers awarded Vermont Community Foundation grants: 198

Total funds awarded to farmers by that committee of state and local agencies: $1.9 million (A sixth round is in progress)

Farmers reporting all storm damage repairs had been completed of 375 surveyed in May: 50

Farmers from the same survey who believe their recovery will need additional economic assistance: 46

Federal grants being distributed to repair damaged fields: $4.7 million

Percentage increase in unemployment claims from Sept. 3-10: 376

Starting Over Strong crisis counselors providing free mental health and educational services in the hardest hit areas of the states: 15

Individuals contacted through SOS door-to-door outreach: 411

Individuals served by SOS and in group educational or counseling settings: 870

Sources: Vermont Recovering Stronger Irene Recovery Status Report; Sue Minter, Vermont Recovery Officer; Shumlin administration


While most of the roads & bridges have been repaired (I think there are a few still are not open.


Cat

Here are some pics I have taken this summer:

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/CatwomanofV/079.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/CatwomanofV/081.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/CatwomanofV/083.jpg

These pics were taken from the moving car so they are a bit on the blurry side but you can see the destruction:


http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/CatwomanofV/279.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/CatwomanofV/280.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/CatwomanofV/281.jpg

http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww64/CatwomanofV/282.jpg

While some things seem to be repaired pretty quickly, you can see that others were not.

To quote Calvin Coolidge after the 1927 flood:

Vermont is a state I love. I could not look upon the peaks of Ascutney, Killington, Mansfield and Equinox without being moved in a way no other scene could move me. It was here that I first saw the light of day; here I received my bride; here my dead lie pillowed on the loving breast of our everlasting hills. I love Vermont because of her hills and valleys, her scenery and invigorating climate, but most of all because of her indomitable people. They are a race of pioneers who have almost beggared themselves to serve others. If the spirit of liberty should vanish in other parts of the Union and the support for our institutions languish, it could all be replenished from the generous store held by the people of this brave little state of Vermont.


I AM VERMONT STRONG!!!!



Cat

Such cute little houses, and I like that gas station too.  :\'(

I was wondering how things were going up there in Vermont as I was watching Hurrican Isaac's path

My friend in Woodstock lost her entire pottery studio and hundreds of completed pieces.  She was pretty devastated.  I just emailed her to see how she's doing.
:(

Some news segments:


http://www.wcax.com/video?clipId=7666571&autostart=true

http://www.wcax.com/story/19400391/randall-street-neighbors-find-comfort-in-community

This one tells the story about two of the houses that I posted above.

http://www.wcax.com/video?clipId=7664129&topVideoCatNo=63459&autoStart=true



My friend in Woodstock lost her entire pottery studio and hundreds of completed pieces.  She was pretty devastated.  I just emailed her to see how she's doing.
:(



I hope she is back on her feet. Let us know.


Cat