Vermont Flood Day 17

The shelter is about to close and it’s going to be a rough closing. It is Thursday and rumors are flying. Unofficially, we are closing tomorrow. Officially there is still no word. We are supposed to get 48 hours notice before closing, so presumably we will be open at least until Sat. But no one knows and there is tension and fear in the air among those who still don’t have anywhere to go. One young man came by in tears saying he has 24 hours to be out and nowhere to go with his cat. “I hate going back to the woods.”

We have also had success stories, people whose homes are now clean enough to live in, others who have found pet friendly rentals. A volunteer who needed her dog watched during the day is taking him home when she returns to her home in the Southern part of the state. Animals are slowly trickling out and heading home.

However, we also have animals in the shelter whose their owners have no options. We have several who may have to be relinquished because their owners can’t take them, either because of a new rental situation, or because they are still living in their car. We are scrambling to help them find foster homes, or permanent placements. The housing situation situation was bad before the storm and it’s now much worse. People with pets are finding it even harder to get appropriate hosing.

I read in VT Digger that an unofficial tally says over 4000 homes and 800 businesses were damaged or destroyed by the flood. Vermont has work to do. We need to take care of our own and then we need to think about what else climate change will throw at us. Tropical Storm Irene hit Vermont 12 years ago. What are we to do if 100 year floods start hitting every decade? Clearly our climate models need to be reworked. As that happens individuals also need to do all they can to prepare for disasters that may once unthinkable but are becoming commonplace.

In the meantime, find your joy where you can.

Thanks for looking,
Stay well, be curious, learn things.

Kate
July, 2023

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