August 28, 2012

One year ago today, rivers across Vermont jumped their banks and ripped through communities, causing devastation on a scale not seen in our state since 1927.  When the floodwaters receded, six Vermonters had lost their lives, 1,300 families had fled their homes and more than 2,000 roads and bridges were washed-out, isolating dozens of towns. 

Tropical Storm Irene was Mother Nature at her worst.  However, what we witnessed in the wake of Irene was Vermont at its best. When Sen. Bernie Sanders visited some of the hardest hit communities in the days following the storm, he was moved by the compassion and good will that Vermonters extended to friends and neighbors - as well as to complete strangers.

People from northern Vermont traveled to central and southern Vermont to help in any way they could.  Many contributed food, clothing, or money. The Vermont National Guard and emergency responders from across the state did a remarkable job protecting lives and assisting communities, and members of the Guard from other states helped out as well. Bernie was in Pittsfield on Sunday - one of the towns that was isolated for a week in the wake of Irene. The residents may have been cut-off, but they were never alone. 

A few days after last year's devastating storm, Bernie spoke on the floor of the Senate about the terrible damage wrought by Irene. At a time when "shared sacrifice" is out of vogue in Washington, he talked about how proud he was of Vermont's resiliency and cooperative spirit.

Bernie, along with the rest of Vermont's congressional delegation, urged Congress to set aside a partisan budget debate and approve much-needed disaster aid. Incredibly, there were some in Congress who tried to use the tragedies caused by Irene as just another excuse to cut domestic spending to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest people in this country.

Vermonters all know - and celebrate the fact - that they are independent and frugal.  Nevertheless, the simple fact is that the scale of this disaster was overwhelming for a state the size of Vermont.  That is why there is federal disaster assistance - to help states, communities and individuals when catastrophe overwhelms them, and only the nation can bring the requisite aid.  That was true when Katrina struck, and is true when wildfires and drought wreak havoc this summer across many states.

Bernie, and the entire Vermont delegation, are pleased that Vermont has received more than $400 million in disaster assistance - and that amount will almost certainly exceed a half a billion dollars before we are done with recovery efforts. 

That federal assistance has helped enormously, but it is only part of the story.  Most of this story is about Vermonters picking up the pieces and rebuilding their homes, businesses, farms and communities. 

In the one year since the storm, Vermonters have made impressive progress:  Basements have been cleaned out.  Inventories have been restocked.  Many roads have been restored, and bridges rebuilt.  Town halls, firehouses and libraries are reopening.

However, we also know that there is much more to be done. Hundreds of Vermonters still have significant unmet needs because of the flooding - or are still waiting to hear from FEMA, the Small Business Administration or their insurance companies. This can be very stressful, as there are a number of agencies and complex rules involved. The property buyout process is way too slow, especially considering that many Vermonters have been permanently uprooted by the flood for over a year now, and in many cases, lost their homes completely. Many towns are still having difficulty with FEMA about arcane rules that will determine what costs FEMA will reimburse.

The congressional delegation is continuing to work closely with the governor and his team to resolve these issues. The delegation met with FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate to ensure that federal agencies will be even more responsive to Vermont's needs, and to make certain the state receives all of the federal resources it needs to rebuild as successfully as possible.

As we take stock of how far we have come since Irene struck Vermont one year ago, Bernie congratulates and commends all of the people, businesses, town leaders, state officials and civic organizations across Vermont, for all the progress made in the past year.