MONTPELIER, Vermont (AP) — The U.S. Department of Labor has approved federal disaster unemployment assistance for Vermont residents who lost their jobs due to flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl on July 9 and 10, the state Labor Department said Monday.

Last week, President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for parts of the state affected by flooding, including individual disaster assistance that includes unemployment benefits for residents of Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Lamoille, Orleans and Washington counties, the state said. People living in those areas may be eligible for unemployment benefits if they were injured during the disaster and cannot work; if their workplace was damaged or destroyed; if they do not have transportation to work; or if they cannot reach their workplace because they must travel through a damaged area, the department said.

Governor Phil Scott has filed a separate request for a disaster declaration due to flood damage caused by the July 30 storms.

The remnants of the Beryl Massacre brought more than six inches of rain to parts of Vermont in just a few hours. Homes were destroyed and damaged, bridges were torn down, towns were cut off from the outside world, and a state where many people are still waiting for help after the catastrophic floods that occurred exactly one year earlier was traumatized again. In early July, two people were killed by the floods.

“The lives, homes and businesses of Vermonters across the state have once again been impacted by this latest disaster,” Labor Secretary Michael Harrington said in a statement. “Our immediate priority is to ensure that people whose jobs were impacted by the flooding receive the benefits they desperately need.”

Individuals must first apply for regular unemployment benefits and indicate whether they lost their job due to the flooding, the state said. The Labor Department will determine whether the person is eligible for regular unemployment benefits or should apply for state assistance.

(Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.)