Burlington, Vermont - August 26, 2011
CLOSED ROADS:
FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers for assistance related to Tropical Storm Irene:
Rutland Heart Center
1 Commons Street
Rutland, VT 05701
Dover Town Hall
120 Taft Brook Road
Dover, VT 05341
U.S. Post Office (Upstairs)
2046 Route 4
Killington, VT 05751
Waterbury Fire Department
43 South Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05676
Barre Municipal Auditorium
16 Auditorium Hill
Barre, VT 05641
Living Memorial Park Skating Rink
61 Memorial Park Drive
Brattleboro, VT 05301
The centers are open from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. 7 days a week.
Real-time list of road closures -- http://crisislanding.appspot.com/?crisis=2011_flooding_vermont
The latest roadway and bridge openings from VTrans -- www.aot.state.vt.us/
FOR ROAD CLOSURES IN CLINTON COUNTY, NY -- www.clintoncountygov.com/Road%20Closures.pdf
The public can call 211 for shelter and other information.
The Vt. Tourism Dept. has set up a new hotline in the wake of Irene. It's for people who need help, people who want to donate to help, people who want to know road conditions, people who want to volunteer and people who need information on traveling to Vermont -- 1-800-VERMONT
OTHER INFORMATION:
*NYSEG will be distributing dry ice and bottled water at the Municipal Building, AuSable Forks, NY and the South Plattsburgh Fire Department, 4105 Route 22, Plattsburgh, NY until supplies last.
*Boil water order now in effect for Bethel and South Royalton.
*The town of Manchester has lifted its boil water order for most residents, but some neighborhoods are still under the boil water order. They are:
- Numbers 3195, 3270, 3312 on Richville Road
- All customers on Richville Road south of Union Street (3312 to 2103 Richville Road)
- Number 19 Green Mountain Road (Chiropractic Care)
- All customers on Carlen Street and Lye Brook Road
- All of Cass Terrace, including Cass Terrace South and Cass Terrace North
- Number 77 Clydes Way
Rootville Road is currently the only neighborhood in Manchester without water service. Other neighborhoods may have water service temporarily interrupted to allow for repairs.
*The Vermont Department of Health is offering free water test kits for residents with private drinking water wells that may have been contaminated with floodwaters. Contact your Health Department district office or town health officer for a free test kit and disinfection instructions. You can also order a test kit for a fee of $14 by calling the Vermont Department of Health Laboratory at 1-800-660-9997. A water test kit order form is also available at the Health Department website: http://healthvermont.gov/enviro/ph_lab/water_test.aspx
CLOSINGS AND CANCELLATIONS DUE TO HURRICANE IRENE THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED:
*Rutland DMV is destroyed. Services moving to the Mahady Court House in Middlebury. They have a mobile office that's usually there 2 days week, but it will be there 5 days a week now to better serve customers.
*Please monitor our website for updates on People's United Bank branch closings due to Hurricane Irene -- www.peoples.com/peoples/Header/Branches-&-ATMs/Delayed-Branch-Opening
*SCHOOL CLOSURES - Click here for the list. *This list automatically resets at 11 a.m.
*Click here for an updated list of trail closings in the Eastern Adirondacks.
*Click here for NY campground closures.
*Click here for closings in the Brattleboro area on the WTSA 96.7-FM 1450-AM Brattleboro website.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AFTER THE FLOODING:
Urging caution for residents and business owners affected by Hurricane Irene flooding, Central Vermont Public Service issued a series of tips for handling related electrical issues:
- If you have water in the basement, shut off power to all basement appliances IF YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.
- Never attempt to turn off your power, open circuit breakers, remove fuses or operate switches while standing in water. Don't take any of these actions until the basement is emptied of water.
- If your electric service panel is affected by water, this is a serious hazard. Have a qualified electrician check it out as soon as possible.
- Don't rely on fishing waders, rubber boots or household rubber gloves as insulation. They do not provide sufficient insulation to protect you from electric shock.
- If any appliances or electrical equipment get wet, be sure they are dry and have an electrician inspect them before using them again.
To ensure there are no electrical safety issues in the wake of flooding, Vermont law requires that businesses and multi-unit apartment buildings be inspected by a state inspector before the local utility can re-energize any building following a flood or fire. CVPS policy also requires single-family residential homes to be inspected by a licensed electrician before power can be restored.
RECOVERY:
Vermont Flood Recovery Resource Guide from Sen. Patrick Leahy's office -- http://leahy.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/VT%20Flood%20guide%20FINAL%20090111-%20FEMA%20IA.pdf
Individual homeowners who suffered damage in this week's storms should report their damage to 211.
Businesses that have suffered damage in this week's storms should call the Agency of Commerce disaster hotline at 802-828-3211 to report the damage. Businesses could become eligible for disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration for storm damage, including loss of revenue due to the storm. Businesses should start to clean up now, making sure to take plenty of pictures and account for loss of revenue in order to eventually apply for assistance. The first step in the recovery process is reporting damage to the Agency of Commerce at 802-828-3211.
From the Vt. Attorney General's office -- Info on how to report price gouging, avoid scams and more -- www.atg.state.vt.us/
Victims of Hurricane Irene may qualify for tax relief from the IRS -- www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=108362,00.html
INSURANCE TIPS FROM THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU:
If your home has suffered damage (even if minimal), it is recommended to start the claims process as soon as possible. You should also:
- Know that after you file a claim, your insurance company will likely arrange to send an adjuster out to investigate
- Check to make sure your policy covers hurricane damage and if so, what is the deductible?
- Take pictures if it's safe to walk around the house
- Don't throw any items away until the insurance adjuster sees them
- If the house is unsafe to stay in, save receipts from hotels, restaurants and other associated expenses.
http://boston.bbb.org/naturaldisaster
After the Disaster: A Guide for Residents & Small Businesses About Managing Debris Waste from the Northeast Recycling Council -- http://www.nerc.org/documents/debris_management_guide.pdf
TIPS FOR CONSUMERS IMPACTED BY IRENE from the Vermont Bankers Association:
*As soon as it is possible, notify your bank about your current situation and the impact Irene had on you and or your family.
*If you lost your personal identification documents, such as your driver's license and birth certificate, communicate with the branch with which you normally do business as they are more likely to recognize you. If that branch is not operational, try to obtain some form of identification verification. Understand our intent is to prevent unauthorized access to your account.
*Banks are committed to working with homeowners and businesses that need disaster assistance. If you have a loan payment that is due, contact the bank or your current loan servicer immediately and work with them to determine what relief measures are available.
*If you have a safe deposit box in a branch that is closed, it may take a few days for the bank to transfer the box to another branch.
*Be cautious about providing personal or financial information. As always, you should not offer this information unless you initiated the inquiry or know who is requesting it.
*Work with people you know or check references for repair work, especially if someone approaches you offering their services but requires payment in advance.
*If at all possible, avoid seeking financial solutions via the internet. You may find yourself in a situation where the financial assistance looks very favorable, but the terms and conditions you agree to are not.
*Be aware of donation scams via email and phone calls. Scammers can create websites with logos of legitimate organizations and use them to gather your credit card information. Instead, ask the caller to send you information so you can mail a donation or go to the organization's web site via a search engine rather than the link. We recommend you give to organizations you know and can verify, such as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army or United Way.
DO YOU HAVE PICTURES FROM HURRICANE IRENE? CLICK HERE TO SHARE THEM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
WCAX News
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