HARTFORD, Conn. — Clean-up from the deadly floods in Oxford, Seymour and Southbury has been in full force, as crews cleared over a million pounds of debris and opened many of the closed-down roads and rail lines damaged in deadly flooding nearly two weeks ago.
Also, microgrants for small businesses and non-profits will accept applications next week.
Gov. Ned Lamont announced those updates Friday afternoon as he got the state caught up on how recovery from the historic Aug. 18 rainfall and floods have been going.
"I am impressed at the speed that crews from the Connecticut Department of Transportation, their contractors and municipal workers have been working to reopen roads and bridges. Our administration remains determined to work with all our partners to help everyone in the impacted areas recover and restore a sense of normalcy," Lamont said.
Out of the 30 state roads and five rail lines that were closed or delayed, 23 roads and four rail lines are now open and running on schedule as of Friday afternoon, Lamont said.
Opening parts of Route 34 in Oxford and Route 67 in Southbury and Oxford remain one of the state's top priorities. The plan is to put up temporary bridges for traffic to use until permanent fixes can be done, Lamont said.
Keep up to date with the road repairs on an interactive map from the state Dept. of Transportation, and with the DOT traffic events page.
Crews have cleaned out around 125 catch basins, repaired 450 shoulders and washouts, cleared 31 culverts and pipes and removed 1.2 million pounds of debris. The state DOT has also inspected nearly 40 state-owned bridges.
Small businesses and non-profits can get an extra financial boost in recovering from the floods. The state is opening the application window for micro-grants on Tuesday, Sept. 3, with $5 million in state funds allocated for this program.
Businesses and groups with fewer than 100 employees in Fairfield, Litchfield and New Haven Counties that suffered damage from the storm can apply for grants up to $25,000. Information on the microgrant applications can be found here.
“In addition to launching a state-funded program to help small businesses with the costs of rebuilding and reopening, my administration is continuing to work directly with FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration to determine whether the thresholds have been met that would enable homeowners and business owners to receive federal reimbursements to aid in the recovery process for damaged infrastructure," Lamont said.
State emergency management leaders have taken FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration to affected homes and businesses to assess damage. If the state receives a federal major disaster declaration, the state could receive federal funding to reimburse affected properties for rebuilding and repairs.
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