New Online Resource to Help Vermont Communities Avoid Flood Damage
Vermont has a new online tool to help their communities become more flood resilient: Flood Ready Vermont at www.floodready.vermont.gov. Flood Ready Vermont compiles maps, information, and learning from around the state. This website will help community leaders in their work to avoid damage from flooding and to become more flood resilient.
You will find information on post-disaster funding and how well communities are prepared. Is your community planning to avoid flood damage? Visit the new Flood Ready Vermont website www.floodready.vermont.gov to find out.
Flood Ready Vermont has tools and data your community needs to:
- Prepare for disaster: Emergency Relief and Assistance Fund (ERAF);
- Identify flood hazards and take action to minimize future damage;
- Find funding to reduce risk to existing buildings;
- Update your community plans;
- Find out what communities are doing to get flood ready.
The Flood Ready Atlas can help you identify what is working to keep your community flood resilient and where structures are at risk. Community Reports compile data for municipal and hazard mitigation plans.
For disasters after October 23, communities that have taken four mitigation actions will qualify for more assistance from the Emergency Relief and Assistance Fund (ERAF). Flood Ready Vermont compiles the best available information about what communities have done to qualify and what the next steps may be.
Municipal and regional plan updates now include a section on flood resilience. Flood Ready Vermont provides key information and data to help planners. On other pages you will find useful contacts and links to funding opportunities to help your community actively reduce risk, losses and misery.
Already communities around the state are working to address known flood risks, and to avoid increasing their exposure to damage from floods. Flood Ready Vermont features stories from communities making it happen. The website news posts and listserve invite communication across the state among select board members, planning commissioners and other community leaders working toward flood resilience.
The website was designed with the guidance of municipal, regional, non-governmental and state agency participants including the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Vermont League of Cities and Towns, the Connecticut River Watershed Council, the Conservation Law Foundation, Vermont Natural Resources Council, regional planning commissions and community organizations from across the state.