(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has submitted a request to President Joe Biden and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) seeking a federal emergency declaration for Fairfield County, New Haven County, and Litchfield County in response to the extreme flooding from the historic rainfall that portions of Connecticut received earlier this week.
The governor is requesting under such a declaration the support of direct federal assistance to supplement the state and its municipalities in meeting critical emergency protective requirements and providing restorative efforts that defend public safety. This includes a request for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide support for the repairing of dozens of bridges, dams, and other infrastructure, as well as for the Environmental Protection Agency to provide support in response to the numerous oil tanks, propane cylinders, vehicles, vessels, and drums that are floating in multiple waterways. Additionally, the governor is also requesting assistance from the Federal Highway Administration for the numerous destroyed and compromised state roads.
Crews from the Connecticut Department of Transportation, with the support of their local partners, have been working since the immediate aftermath of the storm to assess, clean, and repair washouts on state roads where possible, as well as to secure these areas to prevent further damage. The state agency has also begun the process of developing plans for the repairing of the severely damaged Route 34 so that it can be reopened, as well as for other structures that need to be replaced.
Under his authority, Governor Lamont declared a civil preparedness emergency in response to the flooding on Monday.
“This was an extreme amount of rainfall in an incredibly short period of time that resulted in historic levels of flooding in western Connecticut,” Governor Lamont said. “Our state experienced two fatalities in which people were swept away from flood waters, and first responders bravely rescued and evacuated hundreds of people during and after the storm. Scores of state and local roads are washed away or compromised, dams and bridges have been affected, and oil tanks, vehicles, and other hazardous items were flooded into waterways. I appreciate President Biden and FEMA for considering this request to assist our state and municipalities with the immediate effort to protect public safety in the aftermath of this devastation.”
This request for a federal emergency declaration is not to be confused with a request for a FEMA major disaster declaration, which could provide federal funding to support homeowners, businesses, and local and state governments with financial assistance for the costs of repairing and rebuilding infrastructure damaged in the storm. That type of declaration requires the state and local governments to provide FEMA with a detailed accounting of all public and uninsured private property damage incurred as a direct result of the storm and a cost estimate that can determine whether certain thresholds have been met. That process typically takes several weeks to complete, and the Lamont administration is already working with municipalities to conduct it. Any homeowners and business owners who experienced damage to their property from this storm are strongly urged to contact their town’s local emergency management office as soon as possible so that their damages can be documented as part of this effort.
**Download: Governor Lamont’s request for a federal emergency declaration
