LONDONDERRY and LUDLOW, VT – Nearly one year after the July 2023 floods, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-At-Large) sat down with community members and flood-impacted small businesses in Londonderry and Ludlow. Sen. Welch and Rep. Balint discussed the communities’ ongoing flood recovery efforts and work to improve flood resilience. The Vermont Delegation returned to businesses and areas in the West River Valley that they toured immediately following the flooding in Southern Vermont.
“Nearly one year ago, catastrophic flooding devastated homes and livelihoods throughout Vermont. While we’ve made progress in our recovery efforts, today Rep. Balint and I heard from Vermonters who have made clear that there’s still a long way to go to ensure critical infrastructure is rebuilt and communities have the resources they need to recover,” said Sen. Welch. “I’ll keep fighting for and prioritizing disaster recovery funding to ensure Vermonters have the support they need to rebuild even stronger than before.”
“One year after floods devastated our communities, businesses and homes, Vermonters remain resilient. But there is still so much work to be done to get every Vermont family and business to a full recovery. Today’s conversations in Londonderry and Ludlow highlighted further some of the important work still left to do to ensure our towns are prepared for disasters to come. I was pleased to visit Londonderry and Ludlow today with Senator Welch to continue direct dialogue with Vermonters. We will continue to fight for Vermonter, to get our state the resources we need to rebuild with resiliency in mind,” said Rep. Balint.
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In Londonderry, Sen. Welch and Rep. Balint hosted a Community Coffee, and heard directly from flood-impacted Vermonters and local leaders in the West River Valley about the flood recovery process.
In Ludlow, Sen. Welch and Rep. Balint met with local businesses that were flooded, as well as the Okemo Regional Chamber of Commerce. They toured restored buildings that sustained damage during the floods, including the expanded Darkside Snowboard Shop and Green Mountain Fireplace Specialties in the Okemo Marketplace Plaza.
In May, Vermont’s Congressional Delegation sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell calling on the agency to fix issues with the Individual Assistance program, which have made it harder for Vermonters to access crucial federal assistance.
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