FEMA Individual Assistance Program available for Fairfield and New London County, other funds for rest of state.
CONNECTICUT, USA — President Joe Biden has approved Governor Ned Lamont’s request for a presidential major disaster declaration due to the damage caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida in early September.
Winds and extremely heavy rains deluged Connecticut and the rest of the Northeast in early September, leaving at least 46 people dead across five states, including a Connecticut state trooper whose cruiser was washed away in the flooding.
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The approval was first announced on Saturday by Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes, then by Governor Lamont, and shortly thereafter by the White House. Himes and Lamont both said the approval was granted at their urging.
The President’s action makes Federal funding available to individuals in Fairfield and New London Counties, including the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribal Nation, affected by the remnants of Hurricane Ida from September 1 to September 2, 2021.
According to the Governor’s office, the portions of the request that were approved Saturday include:
- The FEMA Individual Assistance Program for Fairfield County and New London County, including the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribal Nation; and
- The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for the entire state.
The FEMA Individual Assistance Program makes homeowners, renters, and business owners who sustained uninsured or underinsured damage to their property in Fairfield County and New London County eligible for federal disaster assistance. This may include grants for temporary housing and emergency home repairs to make housing safe, accessible, and secure. FEMA is unable to duplicate insurance payments and encourages survivors to file insurance claims for damage to their homes, personal property, businesses, and vehicles as soon as feasible.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
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Governor Lamont’s request for the FEMA Public Assistance Grant Program is still pending completion of the FEMA Preliminary Damage Assessment. The governor is hopeful that the state will receive approval for that program soon.
Himes’ office said the disaster declaration will also make money available to assist businesses that were negatively affected by Hurricane Ida. This aid comes primarily in the form of Business Physical Disaster Loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans to assist businesses that suffered either physical damage or loss …….