Brian Searles, left in civilian clothes, the Vermont Secretary of Transportation, and Vermont and Maine National Guardsmen talk at a news conference to discuss Vermont's Tropical Storm Irene recovery efforts in Rutland, Vt., Sept. 4, 2011. Tropical Storm Irene made landfall Aug. 28 in New Jersey and caused extensive river flooding in Vermont and New York. The Vermont National Guard's Task Force Green Mountain Spirit was supporting civilian authorities on storm recovery efforts with support from other states' National Guards.