People’s Hearing Showcases Vermont Experience with Extreme Climate Disasters Weather

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 9, 2026
CONTACT: Gabrielle Levy, Glevy@cacampaign.org, 562-673-6974

People’s Hearing Showcases Vermont Experience with Extreme Climate Disasters  Weather

Sen. Welch, Rep. Balint join community members, business owners, and local leaders to hear testimony from Vermonters

Photos and Videos of the Event Will Be Available Here.

BARRE – Typically, the stories of loss and survival are too often the only things left behind after the floodwaters recede, and even the cameras eventually move on. But not today. Vermonters who have lived through catastrophic flooding over the past few years came together with state and local leaders to put the human cost of climate-fueled extreme weather on the record and deliver a clear message to this administration: we are not expendable.

At an Extreme Weather People’s Hearing in Vermont’s capital, community members, local business owners and more stood alongside lawmakers including U.S. Senator Peter Welch, U.S. Representative Becca Balint, Vermont State Senators Anne Watson, Anne Cummings, Andrew Perchlik, and others to hear firsthand testimony about what devastating floods have taken from Vermonters.

“Vermonters know firsthand the pain caused by climate-driven extreme weather. This week, we’re remembering the floods of 2023 and 2024, which caused brutal damage to homes, farms, small businesses, and entire communities. Many folks are still recovering, and they need support from the federal government. I’m fighting in Washington to get disaster recovery funding back to Vermont and improve disaster assistance programs to better support rural states,” said Senator Peter Welch. “Climate change and extreme weather events can hit any community. This is a red state issue just as much as it is a blue state issue; We need bipartisan solutions and action—and we need it now.”

"The work that Vermonters have done to pull together after flood after flood after flood is extraordinary," said Senator Bernie Sanders. “I have been proud to have helped champion more than $500 million in federal disaster aid to help our state recover and rebuild stronger than before. But the reality is that this type of extreme weather is going to keep happening unless we acknowledge the global crisis of climate change. That means taking on a President who claims climate change is a ‘hoax’ created by the Chinese while he takes hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign contributions from Big Oil. That means taking on the fossil fuel industry which for decades have engaged in a criminal conspiracy to lie and cover up the science behind climate change in pursuit of massive profits. It means transitioning to a sustainable energy system that protects a healthy and habitable planet for our kids and grandkids. There is no more important issue.”

The People’s Hearing, sponsored by the Climate Action Campaign, served as a rare opportunity to showcase real stories about climate change and its impact on people. Their harrowing stories from the deadly floods in 2023 and 2024 underscore the urgent threat from the administration’s rollbacks of climate protections and the slashing of disaster preparedness resources and investments that Vermonters need to protect their lives and communities from worsening extreme weather disasters.

“I was proud to join so many incredible local leaders and the Climate Action Campaign for the Extreme Weather People’s Hearing,” said Rep. Becca Balint (VT-AL). “Vermonters don’t need to be convinced that climate change is real because we’ve lived it. Here in Barre—and in communities across Vermont—we’ve seen the devastating toll of floods in back-to-back years, and families are still rebuilding. The stories we heard today are a powerful reminder that the stakes couldn’t be higher. I’ll bring those stories back to Washington as I fight to strengthen our efforts to tackle the climate crisis and protect our communities.”

“Vermont is not expendable. Flooding has damaged homes, devastated our downtowns, left families and businesses carrying the costs they should not have to bear alone,” said Vermont State Senator Anne Watson. “We need our federal leaders to wake up and meet this moment with stronger climate action and disaster preparedness. These endless rollbacks are making our community fragile and will harm future Vermonters. If we don’t take action, extreme flooding will become more frequent and dangerous.”

Since 2010, Vermont has faced a sharp increase in flood disasters. Climate change is making extreme weather events like the Vermont floods more frequent, destructive and costly. In 2024, Vermont saw flooding on the painful July anniversary of the 2023 floods again. Businesses were forced to close and were forced to shoulder overwhelming recovery costs.

“Vermonters know what climate change looks like because we are living it,” said Vermont State Senator Andrew Perchlik. “It looks like boil water notices, farmers trying to salvage ruined crops, flooded storefronts, families struggling with the costs to rebuild; and it’s traumatizing. We need policies that attack the climate crisis, not policies that allow climate pollution. Dismantling these safeguards puts communities in Vermont at risk.”

“Flood recovery does not end when the roads re-open or the basements are mucked out. For too many Vermonters, it shows up in every bill, every business decision and every forecast that calls for heavy rain,” stated Barre City Councilor Amanda Gustin. “Today’s hearing is a reminder that these disasters are not just one-off weather events. They are part of our new normal, and they will keep happening. Communities like Barre City need resources from the state and federal government to move forward, and we need real action on climate change.”

The Vermont People’s Hearing event is part of a national series organized by the Climate Action Campaign, bringing together residents, doctors, scientists, local experts, and organizations to highlight the real-world consequences of climate change. CAC has hosted People’s Climate Hearings in Los Angeles, Tampa, Houston and Asheville. A recording of the event can be found here.

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About the Climate Action Campaign
Climate Action Campaign (CAC) is a vibrant coalition driving ambitious, durable, equitable federal action to tackle the climate crisis. By cutting carbon pollution and accelerating the transition to clean energy, we will improve public health and create a more resilient economy and a more sustainable future for all.