If Granted, Declaration Could Provide Federal Assistance for Homeowners, Businesses, and State and Local Governments for Repairing Infrastructure

HARTFORD, CT - After a period of initial data collection and review as required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Governor Ned Lamont today submitted a formal request to President Joe Biden seeking a major disaster declaration due to the historic rainfall and extreme flooding that impacted communities in Fairfield County, Litchfield County, and New Haven County on August 18, 2024.

Governor Lamont is specifically requesting the approval for all three counties of the Individual Assistance Program, which reimburses homeowners and businesses for some of the costs of repairing damage to uninsured private property, and the Public Assistance Program, which reimburses state and local governments for some of the eligible costs of repairing damage to public property, including local roads, bridges, rail lines, critical infrastructure sites, schools, parks, and other facilities. Additionally, Governor Lamont is requesting implementation of FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which helps state agencies and local governments take actions that can reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from natural disasters.

To qualify for such a declaration, states and local governments are required to complete detailed assessments and document damages under a process that typically takes several weeks to complete in order to calculate whether damage to eligible infrastructure surpasses the required federal thresholds. The Lamont administration began working with municipal officials immediately after the August 18 storm to conduct these assessments. The data for the Individual Assistance Program has been collected and vetted by FEMA and the SBA. The FEMA preliminary damage assessments for the Public Assistance Program began today and are scheduled to continue all week.

“People who live in the communities impacted by this historic storm are shaken as many of them have experienced significant damage to their homes and businesses and need support to rebuild and recover,” Governor Lamont said. “My administration continues to work with the impacted areas to take the steps we need to ensure a speedy and full recovery.”

In his letter to President Biden, Governor Lamont notes that the FEMA preliminary damage assessment determined that the storm destroyed 19 homes, which is an unprecedented number for Connecticut. Additionally, 170 homes suffered major damage, with an additional 133 homes deemed inaccessible, and 615 homes were found to have suffered minor damage per FEMA guidelines, with an additional 1,049 homes affected. The SBA preliminary damage assessment found that 77 businesses suffered major damages and 51 businesses received minor damages.

In the days immediately following the storm, President Biden approved a federal emergency declaration for Fairfield County, Litchfield County, and New Haven County. That declaration enabled state agencies to coordinate with FEMA on the deployment of federal personnel, equipment, and other similar supports to augment the immediate emergency response efforts to protect lives and property.

**Download: Governor Lamont’s request and the associated documentation seeking a federal major disaster declaration