U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation is immediately making available $2 million in emergency relief funds to help New Hampshire and Vermont cover the costs of repairing roads and bridges damaged by flooding from May through July. Each state will receive $1 million.
Foxx also announced that the DOT is immediately making available $5 million in emergency relief funds to help New York cover the costs of repairing roads and bridges damaged by flooding in June and July in central and northern parts of the state.
Massive rainfall across New Hampshire, in some areas more than three inches in less than an hour, caused flash flooding throughout the state as river levels rose and the ground became increasingly saturated. The floods washed out roads and bridges, creating hazardous driving conditions.
In Vermont, heavy rain and thunderstorms caused severe damage to highways. In particular, I-89 southbound in Williston was damaged, causing a lane closure and severe backups during commuting hours. A section of Manhattan Drive in Burlington and a section of Vermont Route 15 in Essex were washed out.
Funds from the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program will reimburse the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) for emergency contract work done to reopen numerous state routes in the region, including NY51, NY 80, NY 5 and NY 168 and repair pedestrian and highway bridges over Otsquago Creek.
The flooding caused by heavy rain over an extended period affected 15 counties in central and northern New York. Continuous downpours caused flash flooding and closures of roadways and bridges.
