WATERBURY, Vt. -
Tuesday is the one-year anniversary of when Tropical Storm Irene devastated Vermont.
The damage was staggering. Irene affected 225 of the state's 251 towns.
"I have seen so much progress, it's just amazing," says Sue Minter, Vermont's Irene Recovery Officer.
In Waterbury Monday, we met Minter on Randall Street which was devastated by Irene.
"And now a year later, 100-percent of the home are reoccupied," says Minter.
This was just a small part of Irene's destruction. Here are the numbers:
- 6 people died
- 3,500 homes damaged
- 500 miles of state roads a mess
- 13 communities completely cut off
"I've seen smiles of recovery and hope. That's not to say we don't have a long road ahead," says Minter.
While all the state roads reopened for winter, nearly half need more repairs. Hundreds of businesses and farms need work.
And of the 7,000 Vermonters who asked for help from FEMA, 10-percent or 700 Vermonters are still struggling.
"They're basically wondering, where is the money? What can you say to them?" asked FOX 44/ABC 22.
"What we say is we're still here for you and that's why we're selling license plates, that's why we raising money at the local level, at the state level, because we know as much as FEMA and the federal government can provide, for some Vermonters, it's simply not going to be enough," says Minter.
So far, some $15-million has been donated to help Vermonters.
