Vermont

Vt. communities still working out how to pay for flood repairs

Published

2 years ago

January 3, 2024

Vt. communities still working out how to pay for flood repairs

CALAIS, Vt. (WCAX) – Municipalities across Vermont are working to cover the costs of repairing damage caused by the summer’s flooding. Calais is one of those communities.

There were unforgettable scenes of damage in Calais over the summer when a deluge of water from a broken culvert cut deep caverns in the town’s roads. But thanks to the tireless work of road crews over many months, they were finally able to get the roads in all the problem areas back in tip-top condition.

“The workers, we’re a small crew again, we’re still small, everybody kind of just pitched in and did what it took to get it done,” said John Stafford, a member of the Calais road crew.

We rode with Stafford the day he discovered the massive issues at Bliss Pond Road in Calais, one of about 30 roads that endured significant damage.

The Calais town administrator says they finished all the repairs last month. The price tag– $1.5 million.

The town is now going through the process with FEMA for reimbursement which they expect about 75% of the cost and more from the state.

They say they don’t expect any direct budgetary impacts, but getting the money could take a while.

“It could take many months to get all that back. So we are preparing for a cash flow crunch. And we’re going to be accessing a line of credit or the state’s municipal loan fund,” Calais Town Administrator Kari Bradley said.

Calais isn’t alone, the Vermont League of Cities and Towns says July’s flooding cost towns around $200 million in FEMA public assistance funds.

Many other municipalities are also working to get by until reimbursement can happen.

“There are several of our larger communities that were really badly impacted, that are having to reduce their budgets. They’re having to cut services, they’re having to, you know, raise taxes because they don’t know exactly what they’ll be reimbursed for yet of that $200 million,” said Ted Brady of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns.

Back in Calais, the storms keep coming. Road crews continue to work after the recent December flooding and an early mud season of sorts.

“It does lend a sense of urgency to making sure that we have an adequately funded highway department which includes people and equipment,” Bradley said.

The storms have had crews working overtime, but the increasing intensity of storms has crews wondering about the future.

“It’s gonna keep raining like this,” Stafford said. “They’re gonna start talking about paving roads, which there’s no feasible way anybody can afford it now because our roads don’t have bases or anything that would support asphalt.”

Vermont

Unemployment claims in Vermont increased last week

Published

11 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Unemployment claims in Vermont increased last week

Staff reports
| USA TODAY Network

Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Vermont rose last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.

New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, increased to 375 in the week ending February 21, up from 357 the week before, the Labor Department said.

U.S. unemployment claims rose to 212,000 last week, up 4,000 claims from 208,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Rhode Island saw the largest percentage increase in weekly claims, with claims jumping by 132.0%. Michigan, meanwhile, saw the largest percentage drop in new claims, with claims dropping by 49.9%.

USA TODAY Co. is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s weekly unemployment insurance claims report.

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Vermont

Vermont high school sports scores, results, stats for Thursday, Feb. 26

Published

23 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Vermont high school sports scores, results, stats for Thursday, Feb. 26

The 2025-2026 Vermont high school winter season has begun. See below for scores, schedules and game details (statistical leaders, game notes) from basketball, hockey, gymnastics, wrestling, Nordic/Alpine skiing and other winter sports.

TO REPORT SCORES

Coaches or team representatives are asked to report results ASAP after games by emailing sports@burlingtonfreepress.com. Please submit with a name/contact number.

▶ Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.

▶ Contact Judith Altneu at JAltneu@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.

THURSDAY’S H.S. GAMES (REGULAR SEASON)

Boys basketball

Games at 7 p.m. unless noted

Peoples at North Country, 6:30 p.m.

Northfield at Stowe

Hazen at U-32

Oxbow at BFA-Fairfax

Winooski at Middlebury

Watch Vermont high school games on NFHS Network

Mount Mansfield at South Burlington

Essex at St. Johnsbury

BFA-St. Albans at Colchester

Lamoille at Spaulding

Lyndon at Harwood

Williamstown at Twinfield/Cabot

Rice at Champlain Valley

Randolph at Montpelier

Lake Region at Thetford

(Subject to change)

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Vermont

Vermont seasonal snowfall ranks high despite missing out on the Blizzard of 2026

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Vermont seasonal snowfall ranks high despite missing out on the Blizzard of 2026

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The historic ‘Blizzard of 2026′ brought a winter’s worth of snowfall to Southern New England, especially Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts area. Both states including New Jersey had snowfall totals that surpassed each respective state’s 24-hour snowfall record. Vermont on the other hand, too far north of the storm only received a fraction of the amount of snow.

HIGHEST SNOWFALL REPORTS BY STATE FROM BLIZZARD 2026:

RHODE ISLAND 37.9″ (Warwick)
MASSACHUSETTS 37.0″ (Bliss Corner)
NEW YORK 31.0″ (Central Islip)
CONNECTICUT 30.8″ (North Stonington)
NEW JERSEY 30.7″ (Lyndhurst)
PENNSYLVANIA 22.1″ (Langhorne)
DELAWARE 21″ (Long Neck)
MARYLAND 16″ (Bishopville)
VIRGINIA 15″ (Wintergreen)
MAINE 12″ (Trescott)
NEW HAMPSHIRE 9.8″ (Barrington)
VERMONT 6.8″ (Readsboro)

In northern Vermont, Burlington only received a few flakes from this historic nor’easter. Despite that, Burlington’s seasonal snowfall to date still ranks in the top ten across the eastern United States.

Current seasonal snowfall total rankings in the Eastern United States as of February 24th, 2026: