WATERBURY – Today, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) and the Connecticut Congressional delegation wrote to President Joe Biden supporting the request for a major disaster declaration filed by Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont in the wake of recent flooding and following confirmation the impacted communities in Western Connecticut have met required federal thresholds for a disaster declaration. A major disaster declaration is necessary to provide a wide range of federal assistance programs for both individuals and public infrastructure, including funds for emergency and permanent repair work. Congresswoman Hayes and the delegation urge President Biden to approve this declaration as quickly as possible.
"Since August 18, federal, state, and local officials have worked tirelessly to begin the process of rebuilding and to catalog the damage from the severe flooding,” said Congresswoman Hayes. “Now that the state of Connecticut has demonstrated damages surpassing FEMA thresholds, I am calling on President Biden to swiftly approve the request by Governor Lamont for a federal major disaster declaration that would unlock individual assistance, public assistance, and hazard mitigation. This aid is crucial in making our communities whole again and helping those impacted move forward.”
On August 18, parts of Connecticut received up to 16 inches of rain in just a few hours. The floodwaters caused significant damage to critical infrastructure like roads, rail lines, and bridges, devastated local businesses and homes, trapped residents in their homes, forced others to evacuate, and tragically killed two people.
On August 20, 2024, President Biden granted Connecticut a federal emergency disaster declaration following a request from Lamont and the Connecticut Congressional delegation to assist with debris removal and emergency protective measures in New Haven, Fairfield, and Litchfield Counties. Since then, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been on site documenting and assessing damage throughout the affected areas.
Following the flooding, Congresswoman Hayes has advocated for increased federal disaster resources in Connecticut and has worked to identify ways federal programs can benefit local residents and businesses experiencing flood damage.
On Friday, August 23, Congresswoman Hayes hosted storm damage briefings in Danbury and Southbury, including representatives from all Fifth District towns heavily impacted by the storms. On Wednesday, August 28, Congresswoman Hayes attended a U.S. Department of Agriculture flood listening session helping farmers and producers connect with USDA resources and met with homeowners in Middlebury who had questions about the flood recovery process.
Full text of the letter can be found here.