Security stroll

A security guard walks the parking lot of the northbound Interstate 91 rest area in Hartford, Vt., on Friday, September 1, 2023, where the Federal Emergency Management Agency is staging housing units for Vermonters who lost homes in the flooding last July. Seven units are currently at the staging area awaiting “identification of a suitable site, coordination of local permitting, and identifying an eligible survivor for whom this is a viable housing option,” in either Washington, Lamoille or Windsor counties, said FEMA media relations specialist BrianaSummer Fenton in an email. They are equipped with HVAC systems and will be connected to municipal or private utilities and wastewater hookups when they are delivered. The agency is continuing to take applications for the housing from those who are eligible, and more units will be sent to Vermont as needed. FEMA coordinating officer Will Roy said in an August 23 press conference that up to 200 families across the state may be in need of direct housing as a result of the flooding, according to reporting by Sarah Mearhoff of VTDigger. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. James M. Patterson