SOUTHBURY, Conn. — Naugatuck Valley flooding victims can now access relief resources in person at the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center in Southbury.
Experts will be at the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center at Southbury Town Hall daily to answer any questions people may have. There are signs pointing straight to where flood victims need to go to try to get their livelihoods back. This is an effort made possible by FEMA and the Small Business Association.
This effort is happening due to the flooding that ripped through the Naugatuck Valley, killing two women and doing unfathomable damage to homes, businesses, and roads back on Aug. 18.
Southbury First Selectman Jeffrey Manville tells us he is a ninth-generation Manville in Southbury. He said it was heartbreaking to know how hard the flooding has been on this community.
“It’s hard for me to see, this is my community, I’m born and raised a generation citizen, this is personal, and it hurts,” Manville said. “I didn’t realize how much that was going to affect me.”
To help get the valley back on its feet, FEMA and the SBA quickly moved in to assess the damage and get funding out to those who need it most. FEMA representative Leo Skinner that help is in a central location.
“We’ve had teams in the field for the last week or so going door to door to meet face to face in field, but this is a location people can feel comfortable coming in. We know they have lots of questions because doing your own recovery can be difficult for many people and that’s why we are here on the road to recovery,” Skinner said.
Skinner said people are asked to bring a registration number, as well as any documents, insurance forms, photos, documentation of property, proof of residency, and anything else that was shown to an inspector.
FEMA leaders said around $4 million worth of relief money has been distributed to more than 1,000 homeowners and 300 businesses. They told FOX61 that’s just the beginning as more people put in applications and work through the flood recovery.
The Lady of Fatima Church in Wilton will also act as a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center starting Thursday morning. It has the same benefits as in Southbury just at a different location.
For more on what hours these centers are open, head to fema.gov.
Brooke Griffin is a reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at bgriffin@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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