WATERBURY – On Friday, August 23, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) hosted briefings with federal, state, and local officials to discuss the damage caused by the flash flooding in Western Connecticut on Sunday, August 18. At separate briefings in Danbury and Southbury, Congresswoman Hayes met with leaders of towns most heavily impacted in the Fifth District by the storms: Danbury, Middlebury, Newtown, Southbury, Roxbury, and Woodbury. Additionally, coordinating officials from the Connecticut State Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Red Cross were in attendance.
“The damage to our communities is significant and swift coordination between Federal, State, and local agencies to rebuild is necessary and has already begun,” said Congresswoman Hayes. “Bringing these leaders together to review next steps and outline the process for documenting and reporting damages will be critical to avoiding delays in requesting assistance in the near future. As the recovery progresses, I will continue to advocate for the federal resources and assistance necessary to ensure our region makes a full recovery”
An initial emergency declaration was approved by President Biden on Wednesday, August 21. This order authorized the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, and other Federal agencies to coordinate disaster relief and support ongoing State and local efforts to recover from the damage sustained during the storms.
Over the coming days, storm damage will be assessed by local Emergency Management Directors (EMD) and submitted to Federal agencies, including FEMA, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
To report property damage to homes or businesses, residents are encouraged to contact their town’s local Emergency Management Director or self-report damage through a DEMHS-managed portal. Reporting damage to FEMA is crucial in maximizing the amount of aid available to towns, residents, and business owners across the impacted region.
Additionally, as the Connecticut Department of Transportation continues to assess damage to roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure, residents are reminded that roads many be closed due to flood damage. For real time updates on road closures, visit ctroads.org.
Congresswoman Hayes is committed to ensuring communities in the Fifth District and across Connecticut recover from this disaster, and will continue to provide updates on Federal assistance programs, recovery progress, and next steps.