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Mapping The Money: VPR Charts Irene Relief Funds

When Tropical Storm Irene raged through Vermont it shattered homes and businesses, roads and bridges. 1,400 households were displaced.  Many people were left with nothing, except the muddied remnants of their belongings. Some lost their homes and their jobs. The storm had eroded the foundations of many people’s lives. But others reached out to help.

Interactive Map Of FEMA Funds Distributed/Allocated In Vermont

Hundreds of millions of dollars were donated and appropriated to help people, businesses and towns recover. 

VPR's Mapping the Money project documents where the Irene relief money came from and where it was spent.

The project begins with a detailed exploration of FEMA funding, by far the largest source of recovery funds.  Our data includes a town-by-town breakdown of the money spent for public and individual assistance, along with a listing of the millions of dollars that went to state agencies and other organizations.

Soon, we’ll post more information detailing the contributions of nonprofits, municipalities and state agencies.

Jonathan Butler was VPR director of digital strategies until February 2020. He now works at NPR!
Steve has been with VPR since 1994, first serving as host of VPR’s public affairs program and then as a reporter, based in Central Vermont. Many VPR listeners recognize Steve for his special reports from Iran, providing a glimpse of this country that is usually hidden from the rest of the world. Prior to working with VPR, Steve served as program director for WNCS for 17 years, and also worked as news director for WCVR in Randolph. A graduate of Northern Arizona University, Steve also worked for stations in Phoenix and Tucson before moving to Vermont in 1972. Steve has been honored multiple times with national and regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for his VPR reporting, including a 2011 win for best documentary for his report, Afghanistan's Other War.
Nancy Cohen covers southern Vermont's recovery from Tropical Storm Irene. Her work is supported by the VPR Journalism Fund.
Matt was a web developer at VPR from 2013 to 2014. He joined VPR after learning how to program by launching his own web startup. He studied Physics as an undergraduate at the University of Maryland and found his way to Vermont in 2010 and fell in love with the place. Matt is an avid rock climber and a backcountry skier and—when not in front of his computer—can be found in the mountains or wandering along forest streams, fly rod in hand.
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