A slow-moving, two-day storm system dropped a significant amount of rain on portions of the Northeast earlier this week, causing the worst flood event to strike the region since Hurricane Irene in 2011. Though rivers overflowed throughout the region, the most severe flooding was in central Vermont, where emergency state government headquarters and operations in the capital of Montpelier were hastily relocated after the city was hammered by a record-setting 5.28 inches of rainfall on Monday. The city and surrounding communities experienced catastrophic flooding that destroyed a large number of homes and caused widespread damage to infrastructure, stranding many residents and preventing travel across the region.
Search and rescue teams have rescued over 200 individuals across the state, with Vermont-based emergency responders being aided by others from neighboring states. Flash flooding inundated areas that had been spared from flooding during Hurricane Irene, while dams and reservoirs across the state were pushed to their limits (though none were overtopped or breached). Flooding in New York State was also significant, with one fatality reported in Orange County.
It is not yet clear how many homes were damaged by the time rains began tapering off on Tuesday, even while state governments in the region announced that they remained in emergency response mode. Vermont is collecting information on damage to support an expanded federal disaster declaration after President Biden declared a disaster and approved reimbursement for emergency operations by state and local governments on Monday. The National Weather Service is predicting renewed rains towards the end of the week that threaten to drench the already-soaked region, leading to renewed flooding.
Caught in the middle of the disaster are around 800 former residents of a non-congregate shelter that had been funded since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, first through FEMA reimbursement and then by the State of Vermont. However, the state terminated a large portion of that funding earlier this summer, forcing many individuals out of their hotel rooms and into the street. NLIHC’s Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) will continue to monitor the situation and support efforts to coordinate assistance for individuals experiencing homelessness and impacted low-income residents of Vermont during this crisis.
Congressional and National Updates
Representative Al Green (D-TX) attempted to insert an amendment passing the DHRC-supported “Reforming Disaster Recovery Act” into the fiscal year 2024 “National Defense Authorization Act.” That amendment was not included by the House Rules Committee in the list of amendments under consideration. Adding the amendment to the bill would have permanently authorized HUD’s long-term disaster recovery program and shortened the amount of time it takes to deliver federal assistance to disaster survivors.
HUD issued a notice regarding its intent to collect information on post-disaster rental housing recovery. The notice, published in the Federal Register, states that the agency wants to study “disaster outcomes on rental housing, including the impacts to housing markets and renters; efforts that have been implemented by federal, state, and local governments to mitigate losses to affordable rental housing stock after disasters; and how CDBG-DR requirements impact post-disaster efforts to address rehabilitation, reconstruction, replacement, and new construction of rental housing for low-and- moderate income households. The study includes interviews and focus groups in three study communities in jurisdictions that have received CDBG-DR funding.”
HUD issued an additional notice in the Federal Register stating its intent to, upon request of the grantee, expand the time limit needed to expend Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) funding beyond the six-year limit initially established in allocation notices.
An analysis by E&E News shows that different geographical areas may receive wildly different payouts from the National Flood Insurance Program.
State and Local
Arkansas
Three months after a tornado tore through Little Rock, Lonoke, and Cross Counties, the FEMA assistance deadline has come and passed, despite efforts to persuade FEMA to extend the deadline. The frustrating process meant many affected parties did not apply, although 3,500 people did.
Florida
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced the conclusion of the Hurricane Michael Housing Repair and Replacement Program on July 6. The state-funded program completed 977 housing repair projects. The program was started in July 2021. Seventy-five percent of the projects completed were meant for extremely low-income residents.
Residents of Volusia County are being asked how $329 million in disaster funds received by the county should be spent. The money is being made available by HUD’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program.
Illinois
Illinois and other states in the central Midwest are working to recover from a destructive derecho that impacted the area on June 29. Straight-line winds with gusts in excess of 100 miles per hour crossed several states, damaging homes and infrastructure.
Iowa
Philanthropies, non-profits, and local government entities in Cedar Rapids are joining together to create the Alliance for Equitable Housing to push for stable, accessible housing. The coalition was first formed in the aftermath of a 2020 derecho that damaged more than 2,300 rental units in the area.
Louisiana
The Lake Charles City Council approved ordinances authorizing the use of HUD disaster recovery funds to construct three affordable housing developments. Each project will be built to heightened standards that will enable it to survive future hurricanes.
Maine
Maine will be receiving disaster recovery funding to help areas impacted by severe flooding this past spring. FEMA recently approved Public Assistance funding that will be available to reimburse state, tribal, and local governments and certain non-profits for repair and replacement work related to the floods.
Mississippi
FEMA teams are assessing damage to Moss Point and surrounding areas after a tornado struck in June. Individual assistance for residents – who are still waiting for support – can be approved only if the storm is shown to have caused at least $5.2 million in public property damage.
Oklahoma
FEMA remains in Oklahoma after the state was impacted by destructive weather on April 19 and 20. While disaster recovery centers have been closed and the deadline for assistance has passed, individuals can still update their existing applications. FEMA has so far received 418 applications from residents in the state.
West Virginia
An article published by Pew argues that West Virginia should be investing in flood resiliency. The state legislature approved the creation of a new mitigation strategy earlier this year but continues to debate potential funding levels for the measure.