Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are assessing the damage caused by multiple tornadoes and storms that hit Connecticut last month. Two people died and more than 120,000 homes and businesses lost power.
The storm uprooted trees, brought down power lines, and caused damage across the state. U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal told reporters outside the public works department in Hamden on Monday that the cost is in the tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions of dollars.
“We don’t know the precise number,” Blumenthal said. “That’s why FEMA is here. They’re going to be fanning out across the state over the next days to make a preliminary damage assessment. It is preliminary. It is the first step.”
The information gathered by FEMA will be used by Governor Dannel Malloy to seek federal assistance. From there it goes to the president. But officials warn that it’s going to take patience.
FEMA spokesman Diego Alvarado said it’s a lengthy process.
“It depends on how long it takes to write up the results,” Alvarado said. “It can be several months. And then it depends on how long the president chooses to - what his timetable is for acting on it. So it can be, you know, months.”
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro was also on hand. She said her office is still handling issues from Superstorm Sandy.
