Nearly 400 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees are providing assistance to Vermont residents affected by flooding after President Joe Biden declared a disaster last week for seven of the state’s counties hit by the remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl in mid-July.

Joined by Republican Gov. Phil Scott and other state officials, William Roy, FEMA’s federal coordinating officer, told reporters at a press conference Wednesday that the agency has already opened three disaster relief centers in Barre, Plainfield and Waterbury, and that a fourth in Lyndonville is planned to open soon.

At the disaster assistance centers, residents can meet with FEMA staff who can assist them with the application and documentation processes for applying for federal assistance. Roy said FEMA intends to open centers in all seven counties where people are eligible for individual assistance under Biden’s disaster declaration: Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Lamoille, Orleans and Washington. Orange County was recently approved for public assistance, which reimburses municipalities and other public entities for part of the cost of rebuilding public infrastructure.

Roy said 370 FEMA employees are currently deployed in Vermont to help the state deal with the natural disaster. As they did after the floods last July, FEMA officials are going door-to-door to offer assistance to Vermonters in flood-affected areas. Of the 375 Vermonters who asked FEMA to inspect their homes for flood damage, 235 inspections have already been completed, Roy said.

And by Wednesday morning, Vermont residents had applied for individual assistance, Roy said, and more than $1 million in grants were “flowing out.”

However, the current disaster declaration only covers damage from the storm that hit Vermont between July 9 and 11.

Scott announced in a press release late Wednesday afternoon that he had filed a request for an additional declaration for the July 30 and 31 storm for Caledonia, Essex and Orleans counties. An initial government assessment found that 85 homes were damaged or destroyed in that storm, while public infrastructure sustained over $3.7 million in damage. The press release also noted that the governor had requested a separate declaration last week for Lamoille and Caledonia counties, which were hit by an earlier surge in flooding that began on June 22.

“It’s important to remember that while these federal and state funds are important and will help, we know they are not enough,” Scott said at the press conference. “They will not compensate people or cover all of the costs. I know these repeated floods have put a lot of strain on community and family budgets, especially for those who have been impacted multiple times in the last year alone.”

To fill those gaps — at least for business owners — the state will relaunch last year’s Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program. The program offers business owners interest-free grants to cover the cost of flood damage to their businesses or to offset revenue lost due to the flooding.

Scott and legislative leaders earlier this month approved an additional $7 million for the program to help business owners recover from this year’s numerous floods. That sum is in addition to the $5 million lawmakers approved for the program during the legislative session, Scott said Wednesday.

The application portal for businesses interested in applying to the state for BEGAP funds opens Thursday. According to Economic Development Commissioner Joan Goldstein, businesses that were eligible for funding after last year’s floods will also be able to apply for funding in 2024. Businesses, nonprofits, landlords and farms can receive grants for up to three physical locations per flood event.

Businesses affected by this summer’s floods can apply for BEGAP funds until November 15. These grants cover 30% of net losses up to $100,000 per business location.

And businesses affected by last year’s floods that could still use help can also apply for BEGAP assistance until September 30.

The federal Small Business Administration is also offering low-interest disaster loans to businesses and homeowners affected by the floods. Anita Steenson, a spokeswoman for the agency, said Wednesday that the deadline to apply for those loans to help with repairs after the flooding in early July is Oct. 21.