For weeks, Vermont officials have been urging residents to call 211 to report damage from this month’s historic flooding. The hotline is crucial for both documenting the extent of flood damage and connecting people with resources they desperately need to recover, officials said. But in recent days, there’s been growing criticism about the 211 system, which is operated by United Ways of Vermont under a contract with the state. The hotline was quickly overwhelmed by the disaster. Meanwhile, data from the system — including specific details about damages to homes, phone numbers and whether residents wanted volunteer help — were being shared with dozens of disaster relief organizations, including faith-based groups, that descended on the state after the storm. Yet some cities, towns and local volunteers were not dialed in to what their neighbors reported. “I have communicated my frustrations with the 211 system to the administration and to the United Way,” Rep. Jonathan Williams (D-Barre) told fellow lawmakers during a debriefing at the Statehouse last Thursday. “My hope is we can make it better for the future.” Since 2005, Vermont 211 has acted as a centralized call center that helps people get information about a range of community services, including housing assistance, mental health treatment, job training, and access to food, transportation and legal services. In the immediate aftermath of 2011’s Tropical Storm Irene, Vermont 211’s phone lines at its Essex Junction call center were also overwhelmed. But the service was able to add lines and volunteers to help it field more than 15,000 calls for assistance, according to Elizabeth Gilman, executive director of United Ways of Vermont. For much of its history, the system operated 24-7. But in mid-June, United Ways announced that it was scaling back the call center’s hours in response to a change in its contract with the state. Starting July 1, the phones were to be staffed from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Ten days later, storms began dropping more than nine inches of rain on some parts of the state, and 211 was soon overwhelmed by calls. Vermont 211 staff, who have worked remotely since the pandemic, documented damage reported by residents, told them how to reach the Federal Emergency Management Agency and volunteer groups, and shared data with emergency management officials. Immediate help wasn’t often available, however. “I have heard from a very large number of constituents that they have…