SOUTHBURY, Conn. — Three Connecticut counties that were most impacted by August's severe flooding will now have access to federal disaster funding.
The White House announced on Friday that President Joe Biden had approved the major disaster declaration. Gov. Ned Lamont then made further announcements at the Southbury Town Hall.
The August storm dumped more than a foot of rain in southwestern Connecticut, the National Weather Service said. Southbury, Oxford, Newtown and Naugatuck were among the towns hit. Small creeks and streams became raging torrents, roads and bridges were washed out and homes and businesses flooded. Two women in Oxford died after being swept away in floodwaters in separate incidents, and dozens of others were rescued.
Gov. Lamont's office said the move will make federal funding available to affected individuals in Fairfield County, Litchfield County, and New Haven County. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. President Biden has also authorized funding for hazard mitigation measures to be implemented statewide.
Congresswoman Jahana Hayes said in a statement, “President Biden has officially approved a major disaster declaration. With this approval, communities, businesses, and residents will have full access to the federal assistance necessary to recover from this one in one-thousand-year storm."
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA app. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service.
In the days after the storm, Lamont and the state's congressional delegation applied for a disaster declaration from the federal government which was the first step the process of obtaining funding from the national agency.
The funding will allow individuals in Fairfield, Litchfield, and New Haven counties to apply for federal grants that can be used to pay for temporary housing and home repairs, as well as low-cost loans to cover property losses not covered by insurance, and other programs.
More than 200 businesses and 2,000 homeowners have already self-reported damages or impacts. Residents can continue to self-report so that FEMA can help.
Doug Stewart is a Senior Digital Content Producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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