Irene recovery fund pays out $2M to victims

MONTPELIER — A private fundraising group set up to help Vermonters recover from Tropical Storm Irene has paid out more than $2 million to flood victims.
There is another $2 million remaining in Vermont’s Long Term Disaster Relief Fund, but officials say they could still be short of the money required to meet the ongoing demand for assistance following last year’s flood.
So far, the fund has helped 195 applicants working to rebuild their homes and their lives after the storm.
Doug Bishop, the head of the fund’s allocation committee, says there are still several hundred cases being worked on throughout Vermont.
Bishop tells Vermont Public Radio that in some instances, case workers are just hearing from people seeking assistance.
The group is still actively fundraising.