Officials urged flood victims to ensure they get the assistance they need

Officials urged Vermont’s flood victims to ensure they get the assistance they need, especially as winter approaches.  Gov. Scott and other state and federal officials noted that the windows to apply for help or appeal prior assistance decisions for additional help are quickly closing.  At the state’s media briefing Wednesday morning, Scott also focused on the state’s efforts to make sure flood victims had adequate and functioning heating systems. The state will send out a survey to over 1,000 households who reported damage to their heating system during the flood to get a sense of the size and scope of the potential problems. Scott urged everyone who receives the survey, which will come from a vermont.gov email address, to complete it, even if they have received financial assistance from FEMA to complete the work. The state wants to make sure that the work gets done and is trying to determine if further state help is needed, perhaps in finding outside firms to come to the region to help with the work or tracking down equipment that might be in short supply in the region. The officials also urged Vermonters who suffered impacts from the flood to apply for assistance if they haven’t already.