A federal emergency declaration request was submitted Tuesday by Gov. Ned Lamont in response to this week’s historic flooding.
The storm, which killed two people, spawned dozens of emergency evacuations and caused massive damage to roads, bridges and homes in portions of southwestern Connecticut, has overwhelmed the state’s resources and will require direct federal assistance, Lamont wrote.
“The return frequency for this rainfall was greater than 1,000 years,” Lamont wrote. “We are only now identifying the severity of the storm and its effects.”
The request to President Joe Biden and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is for direct support for Fairfield, New Haven and Litchfield counties. Lamont’s request comes a day after the governor declared a state of emergency in response to the flooding.
Federal help is needed to protect the health and property of those affected by the storm, Lamont said. In addition to the two deaths and damage to roads and bridges, the unprecedented rainfall and resulting floods also washed oil tanks, propane cylinders and other hazardous items into local waterways.
“I appreciate President Biden and FEMA for considering this request to assist our state and municipalities with the immediate effort to protect public safety in the aftermath of this devastation,” Lamont said.
This emergency declaration differs from a FEMA major disaster declaration — which can provide federal funding to support homeowners, businesses and local governments.
Those declarations require a detailed accounting of damage, Lamont’s office said, and will likely take weeks for officials to complete. In the meantime, Lamont’s office said people who sustained storm damage should reach out to local emergency management offices as soon as possible to document any damage as part of that effort.
