What to Know
- Severe storms, including tornadoes, ripped through Connecticut on May 15, causing two deaths and extensive property damage.
- The governor has requested federal aid after officials sent in damage estimates. This request includes New Haven and Fairfield counties.
- The approval process takes time. FEMA urges homeowners to document all their damage and repair costs while awaiting word.
Gov. Dannel Malloy has submitted a request for a federal presidential disaster declaration for the tornadoes and severe storms that moved through Connecticut on May 15.
The move comes after state and local officials assessed the damage and calculated estimates. The governor is requesting both FEMA public assistance and individual assistance. If the public assistance is approved, affected towns and agencies will receive 75 percent reimbursement. If the individual assistance is approved, homeowners could receive up to $34,000 in aid for uninsured damage to housing.
The current request includes New Haven and Fairfield counties, which state officials say meet the threshold. Preliminary damage estimates are still underway in Litchfield County.
“As some towns continue with the recovery from the destructive weather, we asking the federal government to provide assistance to those that were devastated by the storms,” Malloy said in a statement. “If granted, this declaration would provide much needed help to the communities that were most affected.”
The storms that ripped through in May caused two deaths, extensive property damage, power outages, and forced some cities and towns to close schools for days.
FEMA urges homeowners to document all the damage and repair costs while officials pursue presidential approval for the aid.
