AASHTO Journal - FHWA Issues $6M in Emergency Relief to Vermont

The Federal Highway Administration recently issued $6 million in “quick release” Emergency Relief or ER funds to help the Vermont Agency of Transportation – known as VTrans – offset costs to repair roads and bridges damaged by catastrophic flooding and prolonged heavy rainfall from the remnants of hurricanes Beryl and Debby this summer.

[Above photo by VTrans]

On July 10, Vermont experienced catastrophic flash flooding and heavy rainfall caused by Hurricane Beryl, which continued for weeks with rainfall amounts observed from three to eight inches across the state over a period of just 48 hours. Flooding, erosion, land, and mudslides continued to affect the state through August 11, when the remnants of Hurricane Debby passed over the state.

A preliminary damage estimate from the events that occurred in July and August is $32 million, with the total estimated federal share of four emergency weather events is $206 million, FHWA said; almost equal to Vermont’s formula funding for the year.

The agency said in a statement that those ER funds will allow VTrans to act more quickly to fund eligible repairs to damaged infrastructure and will help local agencies avoid delays and alleviate impacts to existing budgets. The funding will be used for emergency repairs that have already occurred as well as those that will continue over the next several months, FHWA added.

The agency also noted that those emergency funds will be specifically used to reimburse VTrans for costs associated with clearing mud and rockslides from roadways, repairing eroded shoulders and guardrails, opening plugged culverts, clearing materials from structures brought by floodwaters, addressing water runoff, and a host of other eligible repairs.

FHWA also recently issued $802 million in ER funds to 36 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico to support transportation infrastructure repairs in the wake of natural disasters, extreme weather, or catastrophic events, such as hurricanes, flooding, and mudslides.

This funding support covers ongoing infrastructure repair needs following the impact from Hurricanes Ian and Fiona in 2022; the flooding and mudslides that struck Vermont in 2023; and severe “atmospheric river” rain events that caused flooding and mudslides in parts of California from 2022 through 2024.

Additionally, in January, FHWA issued $729.4 million to 34 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico to support repairs to roads and bridges due to natural disasters via its ER program.

Meanwhile, the Federal Transit Administration issued nearly $110 million in natural disaster relief funding in February to eight public transportation providers, including the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, in six states and one U.S. territory via the agency’s Public Transportation Emergency Relief Program.