President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in Vermont on Tuesday after heavy rain drenched parts of the Northeast, triggering evacuations and causing tens of millions of dollars in damage.
Mr. Biden, currently at the annual NATO summit in Lithuania, has ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help coordinate disaster relief efforts and provide assistance to areas affected by torrential downpours. The storm, which began on July 9, has dumped up to two months’ worth of rain in two days in Vermont and parts of the Northeast, including New York.
“Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency,” the White House said in a statement on July 11. “Emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance and reimbursement for mass care, including evacuation and sheltering support, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.”…