Delegation seeks federal storm aid

Lawmakers ask President Trump to declare disaster

Connecticut’s congressional delegation is seeking an infusion of federal assistance to the towns and cities hardest hit by rainstorms in late September that flooded roads, destroyed bridges and caused more than $6 million in damages.

In a letter to President Donald Trump on Friday, the delegation urged him to accept Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s request for a presidential disaster declaration, necessary to unlock federal assistance to towns, some of which are struggling from other powerful storms in 2018.

For hours starting the afternoon of Sept. 25, rain pounded the state, dropping upward of 8 inches of some areas, flooding roads and streets. In some towns, infrastructure was overwhelmed and bridges and roads were washed away.

“The storms required our state and many of our municipalities to exhaust scarce resources responding to emergencies and floodingrelated issues,” the delegation wrote in the letter to the president. “These efforts strained a state budget already stretched thin by the direct impact of a straight-line windstorm, four major winter storms in three weeks, and the arrival of thousands of Puerto Ricans fleeing the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.”

The delegation listed communities “devastated” by the storm as Clinton, Chester, Killingsworth, Norwich, East Haddam, Franklin, Sprague, Colchester, Haddam, Essex and Lebanon.

Earlier this month, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy requested the presidential disaster declaration in light of the heavy damage done by the rain.

“As the Governor’s disaster declaration request makes clear, the state and affected counties can all demonstrate that they meet or exceed cost threshold requirements for a disaster declaration,” the delegation wrote.

Though not a complete tally, officials estimated the damage from the storm at $6.285 million on Friday.

The first selectman in Lebanon, where a road and bridge were washed away, put damage there near $750,000. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” First Selectman Betsy Petrie said at the time.

In Norwich, a swath of town flooded as the Yantic River surged. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal visited Norwich on Friday to speak with city officials about the damage.

“I feel there is really powerful and persuasive evidence for FEMA to give these communities the relief they need and that’s why we are supporting the disaster declaration the governor has sought,” Blumenthal said.

In May, a powerful string of storms marked by strong winds and tornadoes did more than $13 million in damage across portions of Connecticut. A presidential disaster declaration was granted several months later.

Since then, federal aid has been approved for both local governments and homeowners impacted by these storms.