Vermont’s request would help communities in Caledonia and Essex counties recover from July 2025 floods

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Vermont Congressional Delegation, U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-At-Large), urged President Trump to quickly approve Vermont’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration to help communities in Caledonia and Essex counties recover from this July’s flooding, which caused more than $1.8 million of damage in Vermont. 

“Vermont has experienced 21 federally declared disasters since 2013, as well as multiple non-declared disasters. For the third year in a row—on the same date—Vermont experienced a major flooding disaster. Both Caledonia and Essex Counties were hit with torrential rains and flooding for the fourth time in three years,” wrote the Delegation. “This continuous demand for resources has stretched the capacity of affected small towns to effectively recover from this most recent storm.” 

“Recurring storms and flood events have wrought profound devastation on local economies, public infrastructure, emergency response resources, and rural communities across our state. It is critical that all Vermont communities impacted by this summer’s flooding event can access all available federal resources necessary for communities to recover and mitigate against future hazards,” the Delegation concluded. 

Local infrastructure in Caledonia and Essex Counties saw severe damage from a storm on July 10, 2025. Initial federal assessments found more than $1.8 million in damages to roads and other infrastructure, with over $1 million in damage to the small town of Sutton alone. Caledonia County’s damages were more than ten times the threshold needed for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Essex County also significantly exceeded the minimum. With these thresholds exceeded, the State of Vermont requested FEMA’s Public Assistance for Caledonia and Essex Counties and Hazard Mitigation Assistance statewide, as well as any other available federal disaster assistance. 

Read and download the full text of the Delegation’s letter to President Trump. 

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