The Vermont Atlas of Disaster seeks to highlight how battered the state has been by extreme weather in recent years and to underscore the need for investments in climate resiliency.
The organization that produced the report, Rebuild by Design, was established at New York University after Hurricane Sandy and has helped a dozen communities around the world adapt to the climate crisis.
“We really understand what you are going through right now,” Amy Chester, the group’s managing director, said. “We know that it’s not going to be very easy to rebuild, and it takes a very, very long time. “
The report analyzes data from 2011 to 2021 but also addresses flooding from the past month and the December 2022 winter storm that knocked out power to thousands. The group found that Vermont is seventh in the nation in terms of the number of recent federal disaster declarations, with 17. That climbs to 19 when more recent storms are included. The state ranked fifth in the nation in per capita disaster assistance; its $370 million in aid works out to nearly $600 per person.
And every county in the state has experienced four or more disasters in that time period, with six counties experiencing at least 10, Chester explained in a call with reporters. Washington County had 11 disaster declarations — more than any other county.
The report breaks down in a series of maps the impacts that these disasters have had on the state. They pinpoint where the disasters occurred, how much aid was delivered, where vulnerable populations live and how reliable the power grid is in different areas.
The report calls on the state to establish and invest in a “resilient infrastructure fund” for projects that “enhance communities’ physical and social resilience.”
It suggests a 2 percent surcharge on property and casualty insurance, which it says could raise $600 million for such projects over a decade. Another funding option is a “climate superfund” paid for by the oil and gas companies whose fossil fuel emissions help drive climate change.
The report notes that a local campaign — spearheaded by the Vermont Public Interest Research Group — calls for a $2.5 billion fund that could be used to “modernize Vermont’s infrastructure, weatherproof schools and public buildings, address public health costs of climate change, and clean up after storms and more.”
Read the full report here:
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