Montpelier, Vt. — Governor Phil Scott today submitted a formal appeal of the denial of Vermont’s request for a federal disaster declaration following the July 10, 2025, storm. A declaration would help communities in Caledonia and Essex counties recover costs for repairing public infrastructure damage caused by rainfall and severe flooding on July 10, 2025.
The Governor’s appeal points to the cost of infrastructure repairs under the Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements as an aggravating factor that should be considered. It further outlines the cumulative economic effect on the state and communities that have seen catastrophic floods in each of the last three years.
“After submitting our disaster declaration request, we learned about more damage that wasn’t included in our initial submission,” said Governor Scott. “This information significantly increases financial burden for repairs which we believe strengthens our appeal.”
The rainstorm on July 10 washed out roads and bridges, causing more than $1 million in damage in the rural town of Sutton alone, as well as significant damage in surrounding communities. Federal assessors identified more than $1.8 million in statewide damages, exceeding the minimum threshold for a Public Assistance disaster declaration.
A federal Major Disaster Declaration unlocks Federal Emergency Management Agency Public Assistance Program funding to reimburse eligible municipalities for 75% of costs, like debris removal, road repairs, public building repairs, and staff overtime responding to and cleaning up after the storm.
The appeal was sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which will review it and then send a recommendation to President Trump, who will approve or deny the request.