On July 10, 2024, in the wake of Hurricane Beryl, heavy rainfall hit Vermont and caused destructive flooding. Many Vermonters are having to cope with the stress, loss, and trauma of experiencing a natural disaster—some of them for the second time in a year, following the historic flooding in July 2023 in Vermont.
Whether you have been personally affected or your work with children and families has been affected by last week’s flood, we here at BBF want you to know we are here to support your effort. Here is a list of resources that have been pulled together from community partners so far. Please share these widely and use them in your work to help families and businesses get back on their feet again!
There are many helpful resources available about caring for children after a disaster and talking to them about the questions they may have and the feelings they may be experiencing. The Vermont Department of Mental Health offers a flood resources webpage that also links to disaster resources specifically for children, including resources from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN):
- Flood Resources overview page
- Parent Tips for Helping Infants and Toddlers after Disasters (also available in Chinese [Mandarin], Japanese, Spanish, Russian, and Ukrainian)
- Parent Tips for Helping Preschool-age Children After Disasters (also available in Chinese [Mandarin], Japanese, Spanish, Russian, and Ukrainian)
- Parent Tips for Helping School-Age Children after Disasters (also available in Chinese [Mandarin], Japanese, and Spanish)
- A Fact Sheet for Parents and Caregivers about how children with intellectual and developmental disabilities can be affected by traumatic stress
There are also resources available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- Caring for Children in a Disaster
- Activity book for children ages 3-7: Being Safe After a Flood
And here are a few resources from the American Red Cross:
- For grades K-2, Prepare with Pedro: Resilience and Coping Skills Activity Book (also available in Arabic, French, German, Haitian Creole, Italian, Korean, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Tagalog, Traditional Chinese, and Vietnamese)
- Video: Prepare with Pedro: Coping Skills (also available in Spanish)
- Video: Helping Your Child Cope After a Disaster (also available in Spanish)
- Video: Everybody Can Be a Superhero (also available in Spanish)
Laurel Omland, the director of DMH’s Child, Adolescent & Family Unit, highlighted this message from the NCTSN:
“Some families will be able to return to their normal routine quickly, while others will have to contend with significant hardships, financial difficulties, frequent moves, and potentially health issues.
The ways that parents and other caregivers cope during and after the flood influence children’s functioning. Children often turn to adults for information, comfort, and help. Parents and teachers should try to remain calm, answer children’s questions honestly, and respond as best they can to requests. Children and adolescents do better when they understand the event they have just gone through.”
If you or someone you know needs immediate counseling support in the wake of the disaster, please share the hotline information below:
“A disaster event such as this historic flooding is unexpected and often brings out strong emotions. People can call or text the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline’s toll-free number (1–800–985–5990) and receive immediate counseling. This free, confidential, multilingual crisis support service is available to anyone experiencing distress as a result of a disaster. People who call and text are connected to trained, caring professionals from crisis counseling centers in the network. Helpline staff provide confidential counseling, referrals, and other needed support services.”
BBF has compiled a list of flood response resources from across the state. For general flood assistance, Vermont 2-1-1 and the Agency of Natural Resources are the best places to start reporting damage and getting help with cleanup. Flood safety information from the Vermont Department of Health includes a link to order a free drinking water test kit for private springs and wells affected by the flooding.
To volunteer, donate, or further support specific regions in Vermont, our partners across the state recommend NEK Long-Term Disaster Recovery & Resilience, United Way of Lamoille County, and Green Mountain United Way in Central Vermont. There is also a statewide volunteer signup and a statewide VT Flood Response and Recovery Fund accepting donations.
