CT’s gradual recovery from historic rainfall will include help from federal agencies

Connecticut is continuing to deal with the fallout of Sunday’s storm that brought over 14 inches of rain to some towns in the southwest part of the state – bringing with it destructive, deadly flooding.

The National Weather Service says that the storm may have broken 24-hour rainfall records in the state. Flooding claimed the lives of two women and led to destruction of several roads, homes and businesses in Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield counties.

The damage assessment is ongoing, said Bill Turner, the state emergency management director, and Connecticut agencies have been working since the day of the storm to address immediate safety and environmental concerns.

“There’s a lot of cleanup still to be done,” Turner said. “I think people just really need to be careful that even though it might be blue skies and sunny out, there’s still a lot of hazards out there, between all the debris, and damage that was caused by the storm.”

Now, the state is getting more aid, after President Joe Biden and FEMA approved Gov. Ned Lamont’s request for federal help on Wednesday.

This federal emergency declaration allows federal agencies to lend expertise to the state with cleanup and recovery. Turner said they’re looking for the Environmental Protection Agency to help clear flood debris, along with propane tanks or oil tanks in waterways, and for the Army Corps of Engineers to lend help to repair roads or bridges.

“A lot of towns have a lot of damage and they might need assistance with the assessment and what to do next to get things reopened or rebuilt,” Turner said. “Having just gotten the declaration, those conversations will just start now.”

This declaration differs from a FEMA major disaster declaration, which can provide federal funding to support homeowners, businesses and local governments. As of Wednesday afternoon, about 800 homes and businesses in Connecticut reported damage from Sunday’s storm, Turner said.

The state is working to get the data needed to show damages qualify for that next level of federal aid, according to Lamont’s office.

These storms aren’t new. Long-term data shows extreme rain events are growing in frequency and intensity over time due to climate change .

That’s not the only challenge, Turner said. The forecast also didn’t predict the amount of rain that fell, impacting how fast the state could respond to flooding.

In addition to local response teams, crews from Hartford were scrambled to help storm victims statewide. Officials said more than 100 people were evacuated by search and rescue teams around Connecticut as of Sunday evening.

“We usually have some sort of heads up for a hurricane, we may have quite a few days leading up to it for us to preposition things,” Turner said. “We pivot and adapt. Everybody probably wished we had some time to prepare and get things where they needed to be before this happened.”

Learn more:

Property damage can be reported to local emergency management offices. More insurance claim-related information is available online .

The Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH) can be reached for crisis counseling by call or text at 1-800-985-5990.

This story was first published Aug. 22, 2024 by Connecticut Public.

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